Midnight Angel
by ShinimegamisScythe
Summary: Duo is not quite what he seems to be. What happens, when the others find out,or rather, _try_ to find out...? (YAOI !! do not read if you don't like that!) CH. 16 UP!!!
1. Chapter one

Midnight Angel  
  
Part one  
  
"Phew..." dragging his sore body into a new safehouse, followed  
closely by his fellow ex-gundam-pilots, Duo felt like fainting on the  
spot. He hadn't been as exhausted as this for ages.   
  
//Shit, if at least this had stayed a solo mission, I would have   
stayed one day longer, so nobody would notice me sneaking out tonight.  
But with Heero and the others... It'll be a lot more difficult...//   
  
He really and absolutely _had_ to go out and bath in the full moon's   
light tonight. He couldn't wait another four weeks for it.  
  
//Che, I'm even too tired to go upstairs, how will I sneak out unno-  
ticed? I just hope the others sleep very tight tonight....// he ramb-  
led on in his thoughts.   
  
Exhausted he slumped onto the couch in the living-room, and only a   
few seconds later the others could tell from his soft snoring that he  
was fast asleep.  
  
  
Trowa, who had sat down in one of the armchairs, suddenly found his   
lap being used as Quatre's chosen seat. Not that he minded. He   
tenderly wrapped his arms around the one he loved, and soon they were  
off to dreamland together.   
Wufei positioned himself into a lotus seat and started meditating,   
trying to gain some peace of mind. Zechs looked around and grinned.   
  
"Look," he whispered to Heero, "a whole room full of sleeping and   
semi-sleeping beauties..."   
  
"Yeah, semi-sleeping. That applies to me and you just perfectly"   
Heero yawned. Settling down next to his best friend Duo, he too   
succumbed to sleep. Finding no more free space but the floor, Zechs   
climbed up to the next level and settled down on a queen-sized bed   
he found in the first room.   
  
//Whoa, a chance to sleep peacefully, at last...//  
  
When the church bell of the nearby village stroke ten o'clock, the   
only sound were the soft breathing and occasionally snoring of six   
sleeping Preventers, who had a very busy month behind them. They had  
had to infiltrate different enemy bases, just to discover, that they  
were all connected to each other.  
  
Around midnight Heero was startled into awareness. Somebody was mo-  
ving in the room. Against the full moons light, he saw the person's   
silhouette in front of an open window. Judging the size and form, it  
had to be Duo, but why was he sneaking around like this? When they   
arrived here, he had looked like a walking corpse, he needed to rest.  
Yet here he was, silently climbing out of the window.   
  
As soon as the braided one was outside, moving towards the small   
forest behind the house, Heero quietly followed him. He wasn't cu-  
rious, oh no. He just had to know what Duo was doing in a forest in   
the middle of the night. And he was only a very little bit concerned  
about the baka. Who knew what could happen to him in that condition.   
For all Heero knew, the idiot could stumble over a tree's root and   
break his neck from the fall.   
  
Quietly he sneaked through the forest, always keeping a secure dis-  
tance from his friend, so that he wouldn't be spotted. When he   
followed the twists and turns of the little path into the forest,   
that was actually much bigger than he had originally thought, he   
began to wonder about why Duo was so secretive about going out here.   
  
//I don't think he turned into a traitor... he's not that type of   
guy,... is he? Duo, what are you hiding?//   
  
Suddenly he stood in front of a clearing. Watching his surroundings,  
Heero noticed with growing uneasiness, that this place seemed odd.   
Trees like this weren't supposed to grow in a forest in Northern   
Europe. They were giants, they reminded him of the pictures of   
Mammoth trees he had once seen. Second to that, he couldn't recognise  
what kind of trees they were. Some of them seemed almost black,   
others had an ivory shimmer on their stem. And the flowers growing   
everywhere. Plain beauty all around him.   
  
Pulling his binoculars out of spandex space, he directed his gaze   
onto Duo's face. The beautiful young man was fumbling around in his   
mouth, and while Heero continued watching, he pulled two pieces of   
cotton wool out.   
  
The changes this did to his face... Heero stared dumbfounded at the   
now thinner face of Duo Maxwell, whom he thought he knew quite well.   
But this, this was a stranger. In the past three years after the   
Marimeia incident, Duo had been on the receiving end of quite some   
jokes, since he didn't seem to have matured visibly.   
  
But the person standing in the middle of the clearing seemed much   
older then the nineteen years he was supposed to be.   
  
//No, not so much older... more like... I don't know... timeless?//   
  
He continued watching, when Duo fumbled at his ears.   
  
//What's going on now?//   
  
Suddenly Duo held two ear-shaped pieces of skin coloured gum in his  
hands. Heero stared in wonder at the pointed ears, that were framing  
Duo's face. Slowly Duo started to unravel his braid. The soft   
chestnut mane reached down to his mid-calves, now that it was un-  
bound. The cool light of the full moon above gave it an unearthly   
glow. Then Duo started to undress.   
  
Naked, he lay down in the sweet-smelling grass and directed his gaze  
to the moon. Heero's mind ran wild.   
  
//What... who... I don't underst... Duo - an elf or something like   
that...//   
  
Not knowing how to handle this added stress, Heero's brain short-  
circuited and the young man fainted. At least, that spared him the   
sight of dark-feathered wings, protruding from Duo's back when he   
got up again. 


	2. Chapter two

Midnight Angel  
  
Part two  
  
Silently Wufei swore. One moment, he had seen Heero sneaking behind Duo, but   
the next instant, Heero as well as Duo had vanished from his sight. He hadn't  
been asleep, when Duo had silently gotten up to flee into the forest, or when   
Heero, just as silent, had started the pursuit. Suffering from a terrible   
headache, he had decided that a little midnight walk couldn't harm him. So he   
too had followed from a safe distance. And lost track of them.   
  
//There's no justice in this wicked world// he thought, turning around to go 'home'.   
After twenty minutes of walking, he almost stumbled over Heero's prone form.   
  
//Saa, what the heck's going on. And where is the motormouth?// Sighing he slung the   
unconscious one over his shoulder, carrying him back to the safehouse and   
resting him down on the sofa where he had previously been sitting.   
  
//Well, one thing's for sure, Heero. You definitely need a shower now...// He thought   
to himself, as he looked at the dirt in Heero's hair and clothing. Following Zechs'   
example he went upstairs to get some sleep himself. Tomorrow he would have a   
loong talk with Duo. That was the first thing he put onto his mental schedule   
for the following day.  
  
Meanwhile Duo was enjoying himself. He lay spread-eagle on the soft ground,   
letting the moon's light caress his slender frame. The voices in his head were   
silent for once. He closed his eyes, and only seconds later he was off to   
dreamland once again.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Darkness...   
Then a voice...  
soft and definitely female:  
"Do you have to leave?"  
Another voice, dark and seductive, answering the question  
"Yes... He has ordered me to return ...home"  
"What about me? Our son!?! How can you leave us behind..."  
"I have to, beloved. Try to understand... please.... after so much time...   
millenia ... He has finally forgiven me... how could I _not_ return?"  
"But Lu..."  
"Shhh, don't be so loud.... you'll wake up our lovely child..."  
"Lucifer..." the voice nothing but a whisper now  
"I will love you forever... my princess..."  
"Stay... please..." her voice too tired to rise above a whisper  
  
A blurry image formed  
  
An angel, softly embracing a young woman. Her dark skin and pointed ears   
gave her away to be a dark elf... They fitted togehter, somehow:  
  
He, the angel, pearl-white skin, hair, wings and robes as black as midnight,   
his eyes... intensely glowing violet orbs  
  
She, the darkelf: Dark brown skin, pale moonlit hair, the flowing white robe   
and silver tiara indicating her being of noble blood...  
  
"Beloved India... I will always be with you .... there" Lucifer said, resting   
his flat palm above her heart.  
  
Then he folded his wings of solid darkness around her, embracing her one last   
time, before he ascended into the starry sky above.   
  
India broke down, crying softly, never noticing the thin dagger flying towards   
her, until it was too late. It's blade plunged deep into her back, perfectly   
aimed for the heart.   
With her last breath she called out her son's name, Azrael. Then she cast a   
spell, to make her child invisible to whomever had sealed her fate.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
A soft keening wail snapped Duo into wide awakeness. It took him a moment to   
register that he himself had issued the sound. Shivering he noticed that the   
moon had hidden behind dark stormclouds, so he made his wings disappear, got   
dressed and left the magical forest.   
  
Five minutes later he entered the safehouse. Upon seeing Heero covered in soil   
of Shijindala, a world created by someone close to Duo's heart (himself^^) he   
cursed softly. Heero must have had followed him into the forbidden realm.  
  
Thinking about what to do, he evilly grinned. After the moon-bath his power was   
at it's height. Quietly he uttered some magic words, and all dirt was gone,   
leaving only Heero's skin covered with a slight film of perspiration (and his   
clothes, of course). Snuggling back onto the sofa, he tucked his shoulder under   
Heero's head and decided to act as if he'd never been away.   
  
//It was all in Heero's imagination... yes... *yawn*// he thought, breathing in   
Heero's scent, a unique mixture of gunpowder, musk and, due to the warm weather, a   
hint of sweat. Sighing softly he surrendered to a deep dreamless sleep. 


	3. chapter three

Midnight Angel  
  
Part three  
  
In the next morning Trowa was the first one to wake up. For the first time in a   
month he felt completely relaxed and at peace. Looking around, he had to fight a  
chuckle at the sight that greeted him from the red plush-sofa. The soft   
vibrating of his chest (from suppressed laughter) woke the sleeping angel on his   
lap.   
  
"What is it Trowa?" Quatre whispered, not wanting to disturb the peaceful   
silence. With a nod of his unibanged head, Trowa motioned him to take a look at   
the sofa.   
  
Duo's left hand rested loosely on Heero's shoulder, his right being tightly   
grasped by Heero's left, While the perfect soldier's right hand clutched Death's  
long silken braid like a lifeline.   
  
//so sweet togehter...// the blonde empath thought. But something seemed a little off.   
  
  
"Say, Trowa," he adressed his stoic lover "is it my imagination or   
does Duo look ... different somehow...?"   
  
Carefully Trowa scannded Duo's slim frame with his one visible eye.  
  
"He seems to have lost some weight... and his face looks kinda different, I guess..."   
  
Quatre was delighted. Not only was he, once more, right in his observation, but his oh-  
so-silent significant other had chosen not to say 'yes', 'no' or maybe a 'so?'   
he had actually answered in two whole sentences... kind of.   
  
"I guess he's just pretty exhausted from the last mission." Quatre concluded.   
  
Quietly he rose from Trowa's lap and entered the kitchenette, intending to   
prepare some breakfast. Only to find that there was _nothing_ that looked even   
remotely edible. A soft rumble drew his attention towards his lover - who now   
lay sprawled on the floor, looking slightly abashed.   
  
"It seems my legs fell asleep over night..." A soft chuckle from the stairs  
indicated that another member of their team had woken up.  
  
"Good morning Zechs." Quatre greeted the older boy. Meanwhile Trowa had managed   
to stand up, feeling decidedly annoyed at the tingling sensation in his legs.   
  
"Good morning to the both of you," Zechs replied to Quatre's kind greeting. Then,   
after seeing the two who were still sleeping like the dead on their red sofa, he pulled  
a little camera from the pockets of his pants and took some snapshots.   
  
"Why so many?" Quatre asked.  
  
"Well, somehow I have to fill the last pictures of this film..." Zechs said, shrugging.  
"Besides, how could I let this opportunity slip, when Heero is smiling for once?" He   
continued, a smug expression on his face.   
  
Wufei, who came downstairs now, opened his mouth to mumble something like a   
greeting, when he was suddenly interruppted by the _very_ loud growling of his   
stomache. His face flushed in embarrasement, while Quatre slapped his forehead.   
  
  
"Oh, I almost forgot... there's nothing to eat here..."   
  
"Oh, the injustice..." Wufei groaned. He hadn't eaten anything in the last five days. 


	4. chapter four

Midnight Angel  
  
Part four  
  
Quatre, Trowa and Zechs went outside, hopped into one of their jeeps and drove   
into the village to get some food. Wufei settled down in 'trowa's chair' and   
watched the other members of their team sleep. Seeing no dirt on Heero's body   
and clothes, he decided that he must have had a weird dream.  
Sighing he closed his eyes.   
  
// I must be more exhausted than I thought at first... that I'm seeing   
things... ne, Meiran... what a stupid husband you had...//   
  
Something that sounded suspiciously like a sob escaped his throat, but   
he was too lost in thought to realize it. He didn't even realize the single tear   
that slowly made it's way down his cheek. A soft hand touching his shoulder made   
him lash out without thinking and with a lout *clap* his hand connected with   
something soft and warm. Startled he opened his eyes. Right in front of him, Duo   
stood, holding his already reddening cheek.   
  
"ouch, _that_ was so _totally_ uncalled for!" he pouted, the worry in his eyes   
betraying him though. Wufei stared at him, unable even to mutter an apology.   
  
//Oh... Nataku... what... what have I _done_?!? //   
  
Duo looked him square in the eye, reading the inner turmoil Wufei was going through.   
He moved his mouth to Wufei's ear and softly whispered:   
  
"It's Okay, it... it was an accident. I'm sorry for disturbing you in your meditation,   
but... y'know, I... had this feeling that... maybe... you'd like to to talk about it..."   
  
he uncertainly trailed off. He really didn't know what to say. The silence began to   
stretch uncomfortably. Finally Duo gave in.   
  
"Alright, Wu. I won't ... bother... you again."   
  
  
  
  
He slowly rose from his kneeling position and moved to the door that led to the   
veranda. When he tried to open it and it didn't move,he twisted the old doorknob   
brutally, intending to break the lock. But the lock held. Sighing defeatedly, Duo   
opened the window next to the veranda door and climbed through it, then he continued   
his path to the wilderness that once had been a cared for garden.   
  
" Oh dear, this place surely has changed, hasn't it, Sakura?"   
  
he asked the old japanese cherry-tree, never knowing that Wufei had climbed through   
window as well and was now standing on the veranda, quietly watching him.   
  
  
  
  
Noticing that there was something lying next to his feet, Duo knelt down to   
retrieve an old ceramic bowl with the dried up rest of some bubble-sud. Moving a  
few more steps, he scooped some water from the brook that gently ran through the   
garden into the bowl and stirred the mixture with his finger.   
  
//I wonder if this works//   
  
He then took a small piece of wire from the neverending-pocket of his riding-pants,   
twisting it into a loop.   
  
//I wonder what that baka is up to...//   
  
Wufei mused. His unvoiced question was anwered, however, when all around Duo   
soap-bubbles were flying in the air, riding the soft summer-breeze, rising   
higher, flying farther, until they either popped or were too far away to still   
be seen. Fortunately (for Duo), Wufei had lost himself so much in watching the   
otherworldly dance of these rainbow-coloured spheres, that he never noticed the  
mental exchange between Duo and the ageless phantom of a seemingly young   
woman, that had stepped out of the aforementioned Sakura-tree.   
  
"Greetings, sire. How have you been these days?"   
  
"Oh, I've been fine, dear child of my cousin."   
  
"That is a good thing to hear, I will report that to the royal family."   
  
"Do you still have to call your parents that?"   
  
"Yes, just like I still have to call you sire, although you only want me to call   
you Azrael."   
  
"Ah, I see. Oh, and it's Duo now. That's my name for the time being... Say hello   
to you mum and dad for me, will you?"   
  
With a final nod the spirit of the tree disappeared.  
  
-------------------------------  
  
Meanwhile Heero (He had woken at the sound of Wufei's fist connecting with Duo's   
cheek.), after finding that the kitchen was as empty as his stomach, began to   
rifle through Duo's backpack.   
  
// Sorry Duo, but I'm absolutely sure that there _must_ be something edible among   
all this stuff.... No, but coffee, that's at least something...//   
  
He returned to the kitchen and made himself some of that Instant coffee, while   
diving deep into his memories of the previous day.   
  
//We arrived. Duo fell asleep. Me too. I wake up when Wufei accidently hit Duo...   
_Why_ do I have this feeling there was more to it?//   
  
He had just started drinking when an image struck his mind: Duo, clothed in nothing   
but his hair, standing in a clearing of the forest...   
  
//Oh my...// he quickly put his cup onto the kitchen-table, before it could fall   
from his suddenly numb fingers. Wonderingly, he looked at his now-shaking hands.   
  
//No, that _must_ have been a dream.... it _must_ .... no way Duo is ....//   
  
  
  
  
"Good morning Yui."   
  
Startled Heero spun, standing almost nose to nose with Wufei.   
  
"G...good morning Wufei. I didn't hear you come in..."   
  
"You were too busy staring at your hands. They are still shaking, by the way.   
What shocked you that much? Or are you getting ill?"   
  
Heero _glared_ at his friend.   
  
"I don't _get_ ill."   
  
"Okay, okay, forgive me for daring to think you were human"   
  
Wufei snapped.At those words, Heero paled visibly.  
  
"Yui? I'm sorry, are you alright, you make quite a good impression of being a   
ghost..."   
  
These words made Heero pale even more, what made him look a bit vampiric, especially   
with this weird gleam in his eyes. The stinging sensation of Wufei slapping him   
snapped him out of his daze.   
  
"Wufei, would you accompany me on a walk through that forest?"   
  
He asked, pointing to the forest he and Duo had gone into last night, if it had   
_not_ been a dream. And Heero had every intention of finding that out...   
  
"Sure thing, Heero" Wufei smiled.   
  
//Could it be that it was _not_ my imagination running wild tonight?//   
  
  
  
  
When the two of them left the house, Duo's voice called from inside   
  
"Hey flyboys, where are ya going?"   
  
"That is none of your business, Duo." Heero stated calmly.   
  
" Sheesh, alright. Get going, I'm not your keeper after all..."   
  
//If you think you'll find anything, I'll wish you much luck at your search.   
You'll find _nothing_ at all, believe me, honey... *snigger*//   
  
  
  
  
Duo watched them disappear into the forest, then returned into the part of the   
garden, where two or three centuries ago someone had started to grow some herbs   
and other 'health stuff' as he called it. Quietly he began to weed. 


	5. chapter five

Midnight Angel  
  
Part five  
  
  
  
Wufei and Heero were standing in front of a huge thorny hedge, the   
latter staring angrily at the offending thing.   
  
"What is it, Yui?"   
  
"That hedge isn't supposed to be here!"   
  
"You're wrong. When I picked you up at exactly this place last night, it had   
been there too." Wufei spoke, not really thinking about his words. Heero's glare   
was now fixed on the Chinese man.   
  
"Are you saying... that I _did_ faint last night? That it all was not just a   
very odd dream...?"   
  
Wufei considered his next words carefully:   
"Well... Last night... Duo got up and into the forest. You followed him. I...   
followed you both and... lost you. I went searching but found nothing... when I   
decided to get back to the safehouse... you were lying right here,   
unconscious... covered in soil and leaves. I picked you up and brought you   
home... But when I came downstairs this morning, you and Maxwell were sleeping   
on that couch exactly like when you settled down last evening... and your   
clothes and hair were clean. So I thought this was nothing but a weird dream...   
Is your question answered, Yui?"   
  
They gazed deeply into each others eyes, reaching the same conclusion.   
  
"It did happen, then..."   
  
"Yeah, and that braided idiot covered all traces..."   
  
The loud honking of a car's horn snapped their attention to their surroundings.   
  
"Hey guys! Need a ride?"   
  
Zechs' asked them. The jeep was standing right next to them, they had never   
heard it's approach, so lost had they been in their thoughts.   
  
"Or do you want to stay here and make out while _I_ make some pancakes?" Quatre joked.   
  
"Kisama! We're _not_ making out!" Wufei all but screamed.   
  
"Hn. Besides, we are not you and Trowa", Heero added, deadpan, causing Quatre to   
flush slightly.  
  
"Well, do you want to come and have breakfast or do you want to _walk_ home. But   
please consider that a rainstorm is rising, and I doubt you have any clean spare   
clothes with you..." Zechs rushed them, not wanting this quarrel to escalate.   
  
The others followed his finger with their gazes and really, big dark stormclouds   
were gathering at the horizon behind their momentary hideout. Without any further   
comments Wufei and Heero climbed into the jeep. They wanted to have a word with Duo   
as soon as possible anyway.  
  
They arrived at the safehouse just in the nick of time. The last one of them had   
just passed the main door, when the heavens opened their gates and the rain   
began to fall, rapidly soaking the garden's earth. One minute later Duo, soaking  
wet and covered with mud, intended to enter the same way he had left the house,   
via the window. Quatres words, however, stopped him dead in his tracks; head,   
shoulders and one foot already through the window's frame, the rest still   
outside on the veranda.   
  
"Don't you dare come in with _that_. Get undressed first, I certainly _won't_   
clean up after you!"   
  
He pulled out again, muttering something about Quatre being cruel. Clad in nothing   
but his black silken boxers and a still wet and dirty braid, he came back in.   
  
"Happy now?" he asked acidly.   
  
"More or less" was Quatres sunny answer.   
  
Wufei's stomach growled once again, even louder this time. Duo, who stood right   
in front of him, but facing away, jumped in surprise.   
  
"Gee, Wu, are we hungry or what?"he grinned widely.   
  
"Shut up, Maxwell, or I'll eat _you_!" Wufei snapped in a sour tone.   
  
Duo, however, blushed crimson for some unknown reason. Unknown for the others   
at least. But they couldn't see the image, Wufei's dry statement had formed in   
Duo's mind. A picture of Wufei, naked skin glistening with sweat, hair loose,   
giving Duo one hell of a blowjob....   
  
"I ... err.....*hrmpfh* I'm in the bathroom.... I need a shower..." Duo fled   
the scene, embarrassed.   
  
"What's wrong with him?" Quatre mused, more talking to himself than anyone else.   
  
"I have no clue..." Trowa said, though he knew that his lover had not been   
expecting an answer.   
  
Zechs meanwhile had taken their supplies and had started to prepare a rich breakfast.   
  
"Food is ready" his voice rung through the house. The G-boys minus Duo settled   
around the table and started inhaling the food.  
  
In the shower, Duo's hand beat a frantic rhythm, his mind running a mile the   
minute.   
  
//What the heck brought _that_ picture up...? And why _Wu_ of all people... I   
have been fantasizing about Heero, hell even about Zechs... but WU?... I'm going   
mad... If he knew my thoughts right now.... I guess he'd behead me....Uhhhnngh,   
but that picture sure was breathtaking.... I have never seen him without that   
silly pigtail before... But I sure as hell can't go to him saying   
'hey wu, I've had some wild fantasies involving you, naked, with your hair loose,   
and now I was wondering if you'd let me see you with your hair down...'   
sure, go ahead Azrael, maybe he'll be able to end your miserable existence....   
did I just think miserable...? I should just stop thinking at all...//   
  
And he did just that. Shooting all thought into the wind he let himself just   
revel in fantasy. In his mind's eye, his own pale hands turned into a lovely   
bronze shade, looking into the mirror at the opposite wall, above the sink,   
(He hadn't bothered to close the shower-curtain, since he knew his friends   
were all downstairs and eating at this moment) he imagined Wufei standing right  
behind him, placing butterfly kisses onto the juncture between his neck and   
shoulder, raven-coloured silk brushing over his collar-bone.   
  
//What a nice contrast in skin-colours...// he thought idly.   
  
Something about wonderfully different colours of skin stirred in the back of   
his mind, and a picture of his parents suddenly flashed from his memory.  
  
  
~Flashback~  
  
It was a few days before his father left to live among his kind again.   
Little Azrael - he was barely five years old at that time - was sitting   
on his father's lap, holding his mother's hand. They were sitting at a small   
lake, all three of them naked, their skin and hair slowly drying from the   
sun's warm rays.   
  
He remembered going back into the water, intending to splash his parents   
with some of that crystal-clear water. But when he was in the water, all   
thoughts of splashing his parents were gone, as he saw a large trout swimming  
right next to his leg.   
  
"Look mommy, the fish here is as silver as your hair!" he exclaimed   
excitedly. His father softly chuckled.   
  
"You are right, Azrael, the trout really looks silver. But I think your mommy   
is much more pretty than that fish, don't you agree?"   
  
"Of, course! Nothing is as beautiful as mommy... Well, you are, but you are   
her negative, after all..." India looked at her son, puzzled.   
  
"What are you talking about, honey, I think I don't quite understand..." Little   
Azrael pouted.   
  
"Well, just look at you two. Together you look like this human, whatsitcalled...   
Ying and Yang, I think. You dark skin he light skin. He midnight hair, you moonlit   
hair... He always wearing black, you always wearing white..." the boy uncertainly   
trailed off, not sure if he had made himself clear.   
  
Lucifer and India stared at their son in amazement.   
  
"I can't believe he's only five..." she whispered to her husband.   
  
"Well, he sure got the best of both of us, I guess..." Lucifer replied, very   
proud of his bright son.   
  
"You know what, Kiddo?"   
  
"What, daddy?"   
  
"Your mommy and I have the cleverest and most beautiful kid that anyone could   
imagine." The boy stared at him.   
  
"You're nuts, dad. I have neither your pearl skin nor mommys wood skin. And my   
hair keeps changing colours. You two are really beautiful, but I'm only ugly...   
everybody says that..."   
  
A red gleam of anger started to glow in the fallen angel's eyes.   
  
"Who said that?" he demanded to know.   
  
"Umm... the other kids..."  
  
~End Flashback~  
  
After he had gotten himself down, the image of his parents deep into the back of   
his memories and something resembling sanity into his mind, he redressed in his   
boxers, put his fake ears back on and joned the others at the breakfast table,   
the hair unbound, so it could dry easier.   
  
Meeting Heero's and Wufei's gazes, he got the feeling that he was in trouble,   
but decided to shrug that feeling off. A mistake.   
  
"Maxwell?"   
  
"Yeah, what is it Wu-wu?"   
  
"Wu-FEI!!! Yui and I want to talk to you in private. Meet us after breakfast   
in the attic."   
  
"*gulp* umm, ... sure... Is there something special you'd like to talk about?"   
  
"Yes." Nothing more. Just this unnerving 'Yes'.   
  
Zechs exchanged worried glances with Quatre and Trowa. Had something happened   
while they had been away? 


	6. chapter six

Midnight Angel  
  
Part six  
  
After one hour, Duo finally had nowhere to go and nothing to do except going to   
the attic and listening to Heero and Wufei, since outside it was still raining   
heavily and he had no spare clothes. And he didn't want to go outside clad only   
in his boxers, since he _knew_ he'd catch a cold for sure.   
  
Suppressing a deep sigh, he climbed up the ladder that led from the second floor   
to the chamber under the roof. There were a few low sofas and a small table, a   
single candle burning slowly in it's middle. That was the only source of light   
up here, if you didn't count the occasional bolts of lightning outside, since no   
electricy was working up here.   
  
Duo closed his eyes and enjoyed the sound of the rain pounding onto the roof,   
before he focussed his attention on Heero and Wufei, who were quietly waiting for   
him to join them on the sofas.  
  
They were now sitting in a vague triangle, each of them occupying one sofa, Duo   
wrapped in an old blanket that had been lying on his. The silence hung heavy   
between them, nobody was quite sure how to begin this talk. Finally Wufei   
decided:  
  
" You talk. I'll listen, since this concerns me only peripherically. "  
  
Heero and Duo nodded their consent. After a short while of thinking on how to   
begin, Heero started speaking.  
  
"Duo, this is about... what happened tonight."   
  
"Something happened tonight?" Receiving a double glare, Duo decided to shut up   
and listen.   
  
"Yes, something happened tonight. You were sneaking out, into the forest, and I   
followed you to that clearing..."   
  
//Oh shit, he really followed me all the way...// Duo swallowed hard.   
  
"You... followed me all the way...?"   
  
"Yes."   
  
"What... what did you see?"   
  
//I have to know this...//   
  
"I saw you taking out the cotton wool out of your mouth..."   
  
One of Wufei's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but he kept his silence.   
  
"Aaannd...?"   
  
"And I saw you take off your fake ears, undress and and unravel your hair..."   
  
The second eyebrow followed. Duo swallowed again.   
  
//Oh shit...//   
  
"What else did you see?" he promted the japanese man.   
  
"I ... don't know. I... fainted..."   
  
//Why do you look so relieved, Maxwell?// Wufei thougt, before he said   
"And that's how I found him, passed out in the middle of the forest. Now explain   
yourself."   
  
"..." Duo couldn't bring himself to speak one word.   
  
"Well?"   
  
"I... I can't tell you, ancient ones dammit!"   
  
Shouting these word, he thundered down the ladder, the stairs and ran out into   
the rain. Wufei and Heero stared at each other, dumbfounded. They had never seen   
their friend react like that.   
  
Meanwhile Zechs had run after Duo. Seeing him leaning against a tree, shivering   
and crying, he softly embraced him from behind. Duo turned around in his arms and   
hid his face in Zechs' broad chest.   
  
They stood like this for what felt like an eternity, then Duo started to hickup.   
Zechs picked him up carefully and carried him back into the house. After lying   
his young comrade onto the red sofa in the living room, leaving him in Quatre's   
gentle care, he stomped up to the attic, intending to tell the Asian boys his   
opinion.   
  
"What the fuck did you do to him?" he demanded to know. They looked at   
him like deers caught in headlight.   
  
"We... we don't know... he just snapped and ran..." Wufei stuttered.   
  
"Why would _Duo_ of all people 'snap and run' I wonder?"   
  
"We wanted to know something, he didn't want to tell, so he ran. And since   
the matter we _were_ talking about doesn't concern _you_ in the slightest   
way, Wind, I guess you should just get your sorry ass downstairs, Wufei and I   
need to talk."   
  
Zechs and Wufei stared open-mouthed at their usually silent companion.   
swallowing dry, Zechs followed Heeros oh-so-subtle suggestion. Climbing down   
the ladder, he heard Wufei's voice:   
  
"_Fake_ ears? Why in the world would he wear _fake_ ears, Yui?"   
  
Shaking his head Zechs decided that he really didn't want to know.  
  
Downstairs, Quatre noted worriedly that a slight fever blush started to colour   
his pale American friend.   
  
"Trowa" he said quietly "could you bring me a cold washcloth, please?"   
  
as an afterthought he added   
  
"oh, and try to get some blankets down here, he's freezing."   
  
Trowa did what his lover asked for. They really couldn't have Duo ill. With a   
shudder he remembered a time, when Duo had been ill with some kind of infection   
that left him coughing, hoarse and with 'the mother of all headaches', as Duo   
had complained back then.   
  
//Uh oh, no way Duo's gonna catch a cold... and if I have to warm him personally...//   
  
Trowa thought frantically.   
  
// ill Duo = non-stop-whining Duo = no good//   
  
He returned to Quatre and Duo, bringing the wanted items. He carefully laid two thick   
blankets over Duo's shivering form, while Quatre started to wipe the cool washcloth   
over their friend's fever-heated skin.   
  
"Oh, Zechs, you are back. Did they tell you what happened?"   
  
"No Quatre, I'm sorry. But after Heero sent me away, I heard them discuss about   
_fake_ ears... I really have no clue what's gotten into them... How is he?"   
  
"Just a mild fever, but we want to prevent it from getting worse..." Quatre replied.   
  
"Yeah, believe me Zechs, you don't want to experience an ill Duo..."   
  
Trowa added, shuddering. Zechs stared at the silent boy.   
  
//It can't be that bad... can it?//   
  
"That bad?" he had to know. Quatre and Trowa nodded simultaneously.   
  
"Well... why don't we just put him into bed? There are two more free bedrooms."   
  
"Ony two? Then Heero will have to share with either Duo, Wufei or you... Trowa   
and I will share, right, Tro?"   
  
A nod was the only affirmative he got. Zechs lifted the blanket-wrapped bundle   
called Duo and broght him into one of the free bedrooms, between his and   
Wufei's. Trusting Zechs to tuck their friend in properly, Trowa and Quatre   
settled down in the last bedroom.  
  
"Finally alone together, ne Tro-chan?"   
  
"Yes, finally. Why don't we get into bed, Angel?"   
  
"Are you tired already?"  
  
"Who was talking about going to sleep?" Trowa mused, his visible green eye   
sparkling merrily.   
  
"Oh..." realisation dawned on Quatre. "Sure, let's get into bed..."   
  
Aqua eyes shone hungrily now. Predatorily Quatre stalked to his tall lover. Slender   
fingers rose to unbutton Trowa's shirt. Trowa's hands opened Quatres vest and shirt.   
  
"You are definitely wearing too many clothes, little one" he chided Quatre playfully.   
  
The blond Arabian smiled.   
  
" Well, we can always change that, ne?"   
They both stood shirtless now, their hands exploring each other's chests.   
  
// Hmm, how I missed that...// both thought simultaneously. Quatre pushed Trowa onto   
the bed.   
  
"Pants off, now..." he rasped; Trowa complied. With raw desire, Quatre   
kissed his silent Clown.   
  
"Trowa....?"   
  
"What is it, little one?"   
  
"I... think this will be more like just sex than lovemaking... I just missed you too   
much... Just take me, onegai..."   
  
Trowa abandoned his thoughts of foreplay. Groping for the lube, he started to get   
Quatre's pants down.   
  
"Are you sure you want this?"   
  
"Just hard and fast..."Quatre specified.   
  
"Okay..."   
  
//Here goes nothing...//   
  
The unibanged one quickly squeezed some lube onto his finger and carefully   
inserted it into Quatres tight entrance. He gently brushed across Quatre's sweet   
spot, and the golden-blonde Preventer began thrashing mindlessly. He wanted his   
Trowa, and he wanted him _now_. After all, they hadn't seen each other for about   
one whole month, and he had missed him terribly.   
  
Trowa added a second, a few minutes later a third finger, wanting to stretch his   
beloved, before he would enter him. Quatre's whimpering told him that he was ready.   
He pulled his fingers out and lathered his shaft with lubricant. Positioning   
himself between Quatre's spread legs, he warned him   
  
"Brace yourself" before entering with one slow motion until he was buried to the   
hilt in his lover's tight velvety heat. Then he remained motionless, until Quatre   
gave him a signal that he had adusted to the feeling of being filled by his more than   
average lover. Trowa started to move.   
  
Quickening his pace, he pounded into his one and only, knowing that he wanted   
just this. Quatre moaned in extasy. This was exactly what he wanted, what he   
desperately needed....   
  
//it almost seems I have become addicted to this... but this is an addiction I never   
want to be cured from...//   
  
He was amazed, that a part of his brain still was able to funcion coherently, when   
the rest of it was screaming with pleasure, all nerves humming as if they were   
infused with liquid electricy. Together they danced to the oldest rhythm of the world,   
spiralling higher, until they were catapulted into the sweet oblivion of the afterglow,   
sated and content with their lives.  
  
Heero and Wufei were still in the attic, lying on their sofas. Heero had almost   
fallen asleep from the rhythmic squeaking of the bedsprings below, when Wufei   
spoke up.   
  
"We should go to bed now, it is late. You will share the room with Duo, I guess?"   
  
"Well, we are used to sharing a room..."   
  
"Well, here it will be not only the room... there is only one very big bed in   
every room."   
  
//Share the bed with Duo... after what I have seen in that clearing... kami-  
sama... that will be _hard_...//   
  
But he really had no choice, if he didn't want to spend the night in the living-  
room again. So he followed Wufei down into the first floor and bid him good   
night.   
  
When he opened the door to his and Duo's room, he walked face first into   
Zechs' broad chest. Startled he took one step back, as did Zechs.   
  
"Yui, you nearly gave me a heart-attack here..."   
  
"Hn, same to you..."   
  
"So, you gonna share with him?"   
  
"...Yeah..."   
  
"Well, when you go inside, be quiet. His fever just broke and he fell into a more   
restful slumber. Try not to wake him up okay?"   
  
"Hn."   
  
//He had a fever?...Why?// no facial expression betrayed his confusion to   
Zechs. The platinum-blonde man left to go to bed himself and Heero quietly   
undressed. Out of habit he slipped into the bed clothed in nothing but his   
pride. Snuggling into his blanket he fell asleep.  
  
About two hours later Duo woke up from the feeling that a stranger was in his   
bedroom. 


	7. chapter seven

Midnight Angel  
  
part seven  
  
A flash of lightning revealed that the stranger was Wufei, standing at the  
end of the bed, pillow in his right arm, blanket draped over his left.  
  
"Fei?" he whispered.  
  
"Maxwell?" came the quiet reply. "Can we pretend to be nothing but children, and I  
can sleep over without a second thought on pride or rules or whatnot?"  
  
//What's wrong with him?//  
  
"Sure, come here... would you want to lie in the middle?... Or no, that's not  
a bright idea... I don't know howHeero would react to waking up not next to me  
but you."  
  
Duo scooted into the middle of the oversized bed and Wufei crawled in on his left side.  
  
"Wufei?"  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"May I ask why you want to sleep over?"  
  
"... I... had a ... nightmare...."  
  
Wufei obviously didn't want to let Duo in on what he had dreamt, so the braided  
boy didn't push the issue any further. He knew that sometimes it was hard to  
talk about bad dreams when they just had occured. He could wait for a few days.  
Then he would pester his Chinese friend again. And he _would_ get an answer,  
because he was really intrigued what kind of nightmare sent the proud warrior  
run to his friends for comfort.  
  
He fell asleep once more, never noticing that in their sleep he and Wufei had star-  
ted to embrace each other like the little children Wufei had wanted them to act as.  
  
When Quatre entered Duo's and Heero's room the next morning, he grinned at the  
sight that presentet itself to him:  
  
Duo and Wufei lay face to face, both heads on Maxwell's pillow, Wufei's between  
them, both cuddling up to it as if it were their favorite plush toy and embracing  
each other. Silently Quatre closed their door again.  
  
(wanna see a picture? http://shiscythe.dreamwater.org/art/fanart/scythe/AfterNightmare.gif )   
----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Heero slowly woke from a strange dream, where he had been chasing after a  
naked Duo with pointed ears who was dancing just out of his reach. Deeper  
and deeper he had followed his friend into the forest, when suddenly all  
playful demeanor vanished from the boy he thought he knew.  
  
"You discovered my secret, Heero, now bear the consequence ... die!"  
  
And with these words, Duo plunged a silver rapier deep into Heero's chest,  
laughing madly as the life slowly flowed from his former friend.  
  
//What a weird dream...// he thought. Looking to his side, where Duo was  
supposed to be peacefully sleeping, he noticed four things.  
  
First : Wufei las lying next to Duo, both holding each other like lovers.  
  
Second: that sight gave him a raging hard-on.  
  
Third : seeing those two together filled him with a feeling that those two  
belonged to each other; but a dull ache in his chest told him that  
he would rather have himself in either Duo's or Wufei's position,  
and finally  
  
Fourth: since Duo slept in nothing but his boxers tonight, he could see Duo's  
bare back, and there he noticed twin scars running down his shoulder-  
blades.  
  
In a somewhat detached state of mind, he watched his hand moving on it's own  
account, wonderingly tracing one of those faint white marks on Duo's pale back.  
Under that soft touch, his American friend started to stir. He quickly removed  
his hand, but Duo had already woken up. Carefully disentangling himself from  
Wufei, Duo turned to face his cobalt-eyed room-mate.  
  
"G'mornin, Heero" he whispered.  
  
"What is Wufei doing here?" Heero inqired in an equally quiet voice.  
  
"Well, you'd have to know that, don't you?"  
  
"Hn"  
  
"Thought so... he had a nightmare and didn't want to sleep alone afterwards.  
So he came here and asked if he could sleep over."  
  
"Oh"  
  
"Yeah, that's what I thought, too..."  
  
From that softly spoken dialogue, Wufei woke up. The first things he saw were  
Duo's incredibly long braid and long white twin scars on his back.  
  
"Huh?" he murmured intelligently.  
  
"Well, good morning to you, too, Wu!" Duo quipped good-naturedly.  
  
"Oh, Maxwell... Yui... Good morning."  
  
"Didja sleep better here?" Wufei slightly blushed.  
  
"Yes, Maxwell, I did. Thank you."  
  
Heero, on his side of the bed, was silently replaying last night's events and  
Zechs' parting words. Without warning, he held his hand onto Duo's forehead,  
withdrawing it instantly with a murmured "ouch". Concerned, he addressed his friend  
  
"You are burning up, Duo, I think your fever has returned. How are you feeling?"  
  
"Huh? Oh, fine.... I think. A bit sleepy, but otherwise fine."  
  
With a formerly unknown gentle tone underlying his words, Heero told him to go  
back to sleep, indicating with a wave of his hand that Wufei should leave the  
room. Wrapping his own blanket around his waist, making sure that the tell-tale  
bulge in his groin-area wouldn't be noticed, he followed Wufei, grabbing his  
clothes on his way out.  
  
Quietly he padded to the bathroom, only to find it's door locked. Tentatively  
he knocked. Quatre's voice answered  
  
"Who's there?"  
  
"Heero. When are you ready? I need a shower."  
  
Quiet whispers reached his ear. Then, Trowa's voice  
  
"I'm afraid you'll have to wait a bit." Quiet snickering, then a gasp and a low  
moan. Sighing Heero shook his head.  
  
Picturing in his head what those two were doing, his erection got even harder,  
painfully so. Moaning quietly he slid down the wall into a sitting position on the  
floor. Making sure nobody could see him, he slid his hand into the bedsheet, still  
wrapped around his waist.  
  
Softly he touched his own erection. Closing his eyes, in his mind he replaced his  
hand with Duo's, sliding softly up and down his stiff member. He could feel the  
silken skin of his friend's fingers curl around his cock, sliding up and down,  
up and down, sqeezing him softly.  
  
An involuntary groan slipped from his lips. This was sweet bliss, and even though  
the rational part of his mind screamed at him that what he was doing was wrong,  
that thinking about Duo in this way was wrong, and that anyone could happen to cross  
this corridor at any moment and see him, he just didn't care. It felt just too good.  
  
He tried something new and conjured up a picture of Duo's mouth closing around  
his straining member. He could feel the moist cavern of the braided one's mouth  
encircling him, swallowing him, teasing the underside of his shaft with his  
tongue. An appreciative moan startled him into the here and now.  
  
Opening his eyes warily, he saw a chestnut-haired head bobbing up and down between  
his spread legs, the blanket lying on the floor. He shook his head, and as he looked  
again, it was his own hand, it's motion hidden under the blanket.  
  
//Woah, what a vivid imagination I have...//  
  
Closing his eyes again, he rested his head back against the wall once more, an  
expression of raw pleasure on his upturned face. Stroking faster now, he slowly  
came close to climax, when a soft 'clic' suddenly froze his motion as well as  
the blood in his veins.  
  
His eyes snapped open and he looked directly into the lense of a camera, held by  
Zechs who started to double over with laughter. Heero felt his erection shrink  
into non-existance.  
  
"Peacecrack!" he growled menacingly, using Duo's nickname for Relena  
without really noticing.  
  
"Give me that fucking thing!" Zechs tossed it into his free hand.  
  
"There *snicker* was no film in it anyway... *snicker*... what a pity..."  
  
Another soft click indicated that the bathroom door was being unlocked and  
opened. Quatre and Trowa came out, slowly taking in the scene before them.  
  
"What happened?" Quatre asked, his aqua eyes pinned to Heero's non-visible hand,  
still trapped within the blanket, still curled around his now-soft member.  
  
"You don't want to know." Heero growled at him through clenched teeth, a threat  
of violence evident in his voice. Zechs noticed that Heero obviously couldn't  
take a joke like this. He shrugged.  
  
"Ne, Heero, I'm sorry. Had I known you'd react like this, I wouldn't have done it."  
  
"How _did_ you expect me to react, Wind?" Heero was far from being calmed down.  
  
"Umm.... well.... Duo would have laughed his ass off, I'd say."  
  
"Well, Zechs, but whatever happened, you should have considered that Heero is  
quite the opposite of Duo..." Trowa decided to interject. Zechs had a rather  
sheepish look on his face now.  
  
"Yeah, should have thought about that, now, shouldn't I?"  
  
Quatre decided to change the topic.  
  
"Say, Heero, how is Duo this morning?" Heero's eyes softened considerably.  
  
"He _says_ he is sleepy but otherwise fine... BUT he _is_ burning up with a high  
fever. I suggested that he should sleep a little longer"  
  
"Did he whine _very_ much?"  
  
"Hmmm.... to be honest, Trowa, he didn't whine at all. I guess he was too tired  
to do so."  
  
"Ummm, well, the bathroom is free now, Heero. Come, Tro, let's go and make some  
breakfast."  
  
"I'm afraid Wufei beat you two to that. Oh, and Heero?... did he come out of your  
room, or was that my imagination going astray?"  
  
"Duo said that Wufei wanted to sleep over because of a nightmare, or something  
like that. I didn't pay too much attention to his ramblings."  
  
"As usual." Quatre remarked.  
  
"Hn!" Heero entered the bathroom and locked the door behind him. He was finally  
alone with his thoughts.  
  
  
____________________________________  
  
(read Sidestory "Wufei's Nightmare"  
http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=601322 )  
____________________________________  



	8. chapter eight

Midnight Angel  
  
part eight  
  
//What did I do? What did I do? How could this happen? I... I pleasured   
myself...?! In the corridor... Somebody _had_ to find me... I'm such a _baka_!!!   
... How... Why... Why am I losing my control like this?//   
  
Heero let his blanket slide to the floor, put his clothes onto a stool near the   
hand-basin and stepped into the shower, turning the controls to 'hot'. He let   
the near-boiling water pound onto him, hoping that it somehow could wash away this  
feeling of guilt that had befallen him.   
  
//It's all the dream's fault... //   
  
((No, not only the dream. Remember when you saw him in the forest.))   
  
//What... Who... who's talking to me???//   
  
((Hn, baka. I am you. Your consciousness.))   
  
//Na- nani? What do you want?!//   
  
((*sigh* you are a terrible, stubborn idiot. Why can't you admit that you are   
attracted to him?))   
  
//ATTRACTED??? Are you insane? He's male!//   
  
((*snicker* Do you realize that you just called yourself insane? And what does   
it matter, if he is male or not? Wufei is male too, and you are attracted to him   
as well, though not as much as to Duo. Hell, you even find Zechs more that a   
little bit attractive.))   
  
Heero groaned and tried to find a way to silence his consciousness. He didn't   
need it to tell him how he felt. He didn't feel for that idiot, he couldn't feel   
for him.   
  
"I'm just a sick bastard, that's all. I should kill myself, before I lose the   
rest of what little control I have..." he murmured quietly to himself.   
  
"And why would you think such a thing?" came Duo's worried voice from outside   
the shower. Heero yelped in indignation.   
  
"BAKA! What are you doing here? Do you always go into bathrooms, even when you   
know they are occupied?"   
  
"Gee, do you want me to piss into my pants? And besides, how long should I have   
waited? I've been standing in front of that blasted door for a bit over an hour   
and you wouldn't come out. Hell, you were obviously so lost in thought that you   
didn't even hear me flush the toilet, otherwise you wouldn't have talked to   
yourself, would ya?"   
  
"Hn."   
  
"Argh. Have I ever told you how much I _hate_ those fucking monsyllables you   
utter? They abso-fucking-lutely grate on my nerves. Have mercy and _talk_ for   
the ancients sake. That's the reason why you have voice-chords, ya know? So you   
can do this wonderful thing called communication. Look at me, I talk all the   
time."   
  
"Yeah. And you wear on _everybodys_ nerves."   
  
He was met with silence. When he opened the shower-curtain, he gazed into a   
stare that practically screamed 'hurt', then Duo turned on his heel and left   
Heero alone.  
  
"Hello Duo, how are you?" Quatre asked, when Duo came downstairs and joined the   
others in the kitchen.   
  
"Fine." Was the only answer he got before Duo went onto the veranda to get his   
now-dry clothes and dressed.   
  
"If somebody should feel the urge to let me kill his last nerve, I'm in the   
garden." With these words, Duo left the house.  
  
Five minutes later, Heero came downstairs. Shooting a glare into Zechs'   
direction, he sat down at the breakfast table and ate some cereals.   
  
"Where's Duo?" he inquired, trying not to sound overly concerned, but failing   
miserably.   
  
"Say, Yui, did you and Duo have a little heart to heart talk up there?" Wufei   
asked, ice in his voice.   
  
"Hn, not your concern, Justice-freak" was the answer.   
  
A sudden gasp from Quatre, who had moved to the window to look out for Duo,   
interrupted what could have easily become a serious fight. They hurried over to   
the golden-haired empath, who held his hand to his heart, and whose eyes were   
filled with awed wonder.  
  
Following his gaze, they held their collective breath. Then Wufei spoke up:  
  
"Is that...."   
  
"... a unicorn?" Zechs ended the question.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------  
  
"If somebody should feel the urge to let me kill his last nerve, I'm in   
the garden."  
  
As soon as Duo was outside and breathed in the fresh air, cleansed by   
yesterday's downpour, he already regretted his harsh words.   
  
//Saa, I guess his insult really hit home... But after all, I _did_ startle him   
... a lot. I guess I shouldn't be so angry that he snapped at me like he did.//   
  
Sighing he settled down on a large stone, close to the little brook he had   
taken water from the previous day. He drew his knees to his chest, lay his   
head on them and sighed deeply.  
  
::You seem confused:: a gentle voice rang in his mind. His head shot up.   
  
Directly in front of him, a unicorn stood.  
  
::What are you doing in this world? My friends could catch an eye-ful of   
you...::  
  
::Do you think their hearts are pure enough to see me? They are soldiers with   
blood-stained hands after all...:: The unicorn trailed off, uncertain.  
  
A dark chuckle escaped Duo's throat.  
  
::And what do you think _I_ am, my friend? An innocent little fairy?::  
  
::My apologies, sire. I shouldn't have made any assumptions on the purity of   
their souls.::  
  
::Yeah, damn right. ... But, I still want to know _why_ you're here, not in   
Shijindala where you are safe?!?::  
  
::Oh, I just wanted to tell you that soon there'll be one more of our kind   
running free through the forests of your creation.:: The unicorn winked  
at the flabbergasted Duo.  
  
The braided one smiled warmly at the mythological creature in front of him.   
He slowly lifted his hand and carefully drew his fingers through the mother-of-  
pearls-coloured mane.  
  
::It is good to know that your race is slowly increasing in numbers. There were   
too few left of you, because of the stupid mortals::  
  
::And our own carelessness. Don't forget that.:: Duo grinned sheepishly.  
  
::Umm... well.. eh heh, I just didn't want to say that to your face, I guess.::  
  
With a soft snort the unicorn vanished, as if it had never been there.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Merquise, would you please be so kind to pinch me?" Zechs did as requested. Hard.  
  
"OUCH! Kisama!"  
  
"Well, at least we know that this is not a dream."  
  
"Maybe a mass-hallucination?"  
  
"Trowa! This is certainly _not_ a hallucination. My uchuu no kokoro told   
me it was real..."  
  
"But I don't understand..." Zechs muttered."We are all men, and _some_ of us  
are certainly no virgins any longer. So how could we see such a creature?   
Unicorns are said to be only visible to virgins' eyes, or am I wrong?"  
  
Tiredly Wufei rubbed the bridge of his nose.  
  
"To be honest, I don't know what to think or believe any more. Especially after  
what Heero told..." he broke off, mid-sentence.  
  
"That reminds me... what _did_ you say to upset Duo so much that he ran...   
wait a minute, didn't you say he was burning up with fever, Heero?" Quatre   
was worried.  
  
"Yes, he was. Past tense being the key here.I have no idea what his condition is   
right now. He might have recovered fully for all I know." Heero replied sourly.   
  
He was still angry at Duo. Or, if he was honest, he was angry at himself.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
When Duo re-entered the house, he was met with five incredulous stares. It  
was quite obvious, that his fear had come true - they had seen the unicorn.   
But he decided to play dumb first.  
  
"Hey guys, what's up? Is there something at my face?"  
  
"When and how, Duo, did you make the aquaintance of a friggging _unicorn_?"  
Trowa burst out.  
  
//Shit. Does he have to be so blunt?//  
  
"Eh... some years ago... by chance. We just met... in some kinda forest..."  
  
Duo was so _not_ going to tell them the whole truth.  
  
The others formed a loose circle around him, and somehow he felt trapped.  
  
"Duo..." Heero's voice was so cold it sent shivers down Duo's spine, his face  
dead serious.  
  
"_What_ exactly are you? Tell the truth and don't try to run this time. I   
might shoot you." 


	9. chapter nine

Midnight Angel  
  
part nine  
  
  
Duo stared at Heero as if his friend had grown a second head.  
  
"You wouldn't... you wouldn't shoot a _friend_, an _ally_   
would ya?" Duo fidgeted.  
  
//on the other hand, why don't I just tell them bits and pieces and   
hope it's enough?//  
  
((because, you twit, they would know you're not telling the _whole_ truth))  
  
//oh, you again... Yeah, I guss you're right... //  
  
Not knowing what to do, he decided to use the last resort; he fainted.  
  
"Oi, you scared him half to death!" Quatre was _not_ happy.  
  
"Hn, nonsenese. It's just the fever that caught up with him."  
  
Carefully Heero picked his unconscious friend up. He carried him upstairs  
and gently lay him down on their shared bed.  
  
Downstairs, Zechs and Wufei started an argument on how rice tasted better;   
plain with just a hint of lemon juice, or as a paella, when Trowa suddenly   
noticed that Quatre was sitting huddled on the sofa, clutching his heart, the   
face drawn in a pained/worried expression.  
  
"Little one?... Are... are you alright?"  
  
Quatre looked up, startled. "Huh?"  
  
"I said, are you alright? You're so pale all of a sudden..."  
  
"I... no... I'm... it's my uchuu no kokoro. I have a very bad feeling, but I just  
can't wrap my mind around what's bothering me... you know?"  
  
//Am I even making sense here, or am I just babbling? I'm so confused...//  
  
"Is it about Duo?" Wufei inquired, obviously tired of the rice-argument.  
  
"I... I don't know... I never felt something as overwhelming as this before.  
I just cannot tell where it comes from... I felt something similar when one   
of you was in danger but... never this intense... It feels like the whole house   
is ducking in... fear... pain?..."  
  
Suddenly, tow things happened simultaneously. While Quatre collapsed, his face  
ashen, a scream dying unheard on his lips, a violet-black flame appeared in   
the middle of the living-room. Small first, like a candle's, but rapidly growing   
until there was a flame-pillar that almost reached the ceiling.  
  
When th fire died out, a man stood there, garbed in a robe of the darkest  
black, his hair just as dark, framing an snow-coloured face. The tall stranger   
_glared_ at them from crimson-glowing eyes.  
  
//Maybe he's a sorcerer... or the devil...// Trowa thoght, only peripheri-  
cally wondering about his calmness. The stranger then raised his voice:  
  
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY SON!?!" Lucifer (of course it's him, who   
else) bellowed from the top of his lungs, his voice booming through the room   
as if magically amplified.  
  
"Excuse me... but who the heck _is_ your son, anyway?" Zechs found the  
nerve to answer the enraged stranger.  
  
//Is that mortal stupid or what?// Lucifer mused, too angry to realize  
that these young men indeed had no way of knowing that he was the father   
of their friend, who had claimed to be an orphan.  
  
"My son Azrael of course! He is somewhere in this house, and he is suffering  
from terrible pain, you twit!!!"  
  
"*hickup*AZRAEL!?!" All eyes wandered to Trowa at this sudden outburst,  
except Quatre's since he was still out cold. "You mean, Azrael... as in  
'the bringer of death'?"  
  
"Who else should I be talking about, you stupid mortal?"  
  
Ignoring the insult, Trowa answered:  
  
"In that case, I think you _might_ be talking about our friend DUO, and I  
assure you, none of us would _ever_ do him any harm. He's our _friend_, you   
feather-brain!"  
  
Lucifer stared incredulously at the young man with the weirdest haircut he had ever   
seen - on a human at least. A vein slowly began ticking at Lucifer's temple.  
  
"And who are _you_, daring to call me, the morning-star, a _feather-brain_? I   
rebelled against the Lord, led an army against my fellow angels... was cast out   
of the heavens for many millenia because of this crime... and you _dare_ calling   
me a feather-brain!?!"Lucifer ground out between clenched teeth, his eyes   
gleaming dangerously.  
  
Quatre came to slowly, moaning pityously.   
  
"Little one!" Trowa hurried to his beloved's side, Lucifer forgotten for the  
moment. The young Arabian stared at him with wide, unfocussed eyes.  
  
"Duo!" he exclaimed, "he's in so much pain! I can't stand it, Trowa!"  
  
All stared at the blonde empath, unwilling to believe that over their quarrel  
they had forgotten the reason for Lucifer's arrival. As one they thundered up-  
stairs, heading for Heero's and Duo's room. And as one they blanched to chalk-  
white when they entered.  
  
Heero lay on the bed, bound and gagged securely by something that resembled   
living vines - or tentacles - unable to move.  
  
And Duo... Duo was hanging at the wall - literally, nine-inch nails driven   
through his wrists and ankles.  
  
//... crucified... // Lucifer stared in shock at his only child, the beautiful  
loving son his dearest India had born.  
  
Duo was bleeding terribly, the cold iron nails hurting him more than anything,   
due to his part elven blood he had inherited from his mother. A crown of iron  
barbed wire dug it's thorns deeply into Duo's sensitive scalp, dyeing his hair  
crimson with his blood.  
  
"Azrael! My baby-boy!" Lucifer rushed to his son, ignoring the staring eyes  
of Duo's friends. Carefully he tried to pull the nails out, but only succeeding  
in hurting his child even more.   
  
//If I move them, I cause him more anguish... but right now he's unconscious...  
and sooner or later I _have_ to remove that iron, or he will die for sure...//  
  
Cursing the lineage of whoever was responsible for this - and he had a fairly  
good imagination on whom he had to blame - Lucifer carefully examined Duo's   
body, trying to figure out how to remove the nails and 'crown' without causing  
more pain than absolutely necessary.  
  
Letting his eyes wander, not really focussed on what he was seeing, he suddenly  
snapped to attention when he noticed a green slimy dildo lying on the floor,  
Duo's blood slowly drying on it's surface. 


	10. chapter ten

Title : Midnight Angel  
Part : 10 / ???  
Author : Me ^^  
Email : duomaxwell@gmx.de   
Feedback : Always craved ^^  
pairings : pretty much open (still ... *sweatdrop*)  
disclaimer: I don't own the G-boys. I only play with them^^  
warning : general weirdness, language, AU, OOC...   
rating : ummm... ??? NC17 maybe? *no clue*  
  
  
Midnight Angel  
  
Part ten  
  
  
While Lucifer carefully removed the barbed-wire and the nails that   
pinned his son to the wall, the others freed the unconscious Heero   
from his awkward position.  
  
//Shit, he's already turning blue from lack of oxygen...dammit   
Heero, _breathe_ you bloody bastard!// Quatre hoped that they were   
not too late. He punched Heero into the chest, and with a gasp,   
Heero finally started breathing again.  
  
When the last nail had been removed from Duo's wrists, Lucifer   
caught his falling body and carefully laid him down on the huge bed,   
next to Heero. Summoning a bowl with fresh water and a washcloth, he  
gently began cleaning his son's wounds.  
  
After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Heero slowly began to  
stir and opened his eyes.  
  
"Nnnngghhhh... somebody got the number of that MS... ?" Then he   
seemed to recall the previous events and tried to sit up too fast,   
but the world started to spin and his stomach flip-flopped. With a   
pained grunt he fell back.  
  
"Heero... are you badly hurt?" Quatre inquired worriedly.  
  
//I don't know... I feel ... weird. Something is wrong, but I don't  
know what...// Heero thought, but out loud he answered: "No, just   
my pride. Where is Duo?" He was worried sick, but no facial or vocal  
expression betrayed his emotions.  
  
"He's lying right next to you." Wufei answered, casting a glance at   
their still unconscious companion.  
  
Seemingly content with that answer, Heero fell into an uneasy   
sleep, feeling, as if someone or something took away his control.   
Lucifer sighed deeply.  
  
"What is it?" Quatre asked.  
  
"It seems like your friend has been cursed... with a spell I don't   
know of." Zechs' head shot up.  
  
"What the fuck do you mean by that?"  
  
"Well.. can't you see it? Black threads are woven throughout his   
otherwise dark blue aura. It almost feels like a puppet spell...   
almost. It _must_ have been that bastard elf... my poor baby..."   
Quatre didn't believe his eyes. Lucifer practically _cooed_ at Duo.  
  
"So you _know_ who is responsible for this... this... atrocity?"   
Wufei felt like he could battle an entire army on his own, so   
fueled was he with righteous anger. Lucifer stared him square   
in the eyes.  
  
I have a pretty good idea who is to blame, but I have no proof..."   
Lucifer growled deep in his chest "but as soon as I _have_ a proof   
I'll rip his heart out of his still-living body - with my bare   
hands!"  
  
"Would you please calm down...?" Quatre shivered under Lucifer's   
heated glare. "Your anger is washing over my uchuu no kokoro like   
a tidal wave..." Zechs stared at Quatre.  
  
"Oh, I almost forgot about that... Quatre, _why_ didn't your uchuu   
whatnot react earlier? I mean... first you didn't react at all, only  
when it was too late..." Quatre paled.  
  
"You are... right... first I felt _nothing_ at all... then I felt   
something _very_ powerful approaching - I guess that was you,   
Lucifer - then suddenly I felt like a blanket had been pulled away   
from over my senses... and only _then_ I could feel Duo's agony...   
does this make sense to anyone of you?" Before the others could   
react, Lucifer spoke up.  
  
"Actually, that makes sense just _perfectly_ ! I guess that bastard  
knew I was on my way to this place, so he shielded himself and   
whatever he was doing, so I wouldn't be alerted too early on..."   
Lucifer bared his teeth (or rather fangs)"That S.O.B. is _so_ dead,   
once I get him in my hands..."  
  
"Wait a minute... you did not come _because_ Duo was hurt? It just   
happened to happen at the same time?" Trowa questioned.  
  
"That is not your concern, mortal!" Lucifer hissed, his temper   
flaring dangerously.  
  
"You are wrong on that, Luci. If it concerns Duo, it concerns us as   
well, since we are working as a team!" Zechs challenged, his eyes   
sparkling slightly mad.  
  
"It is family business, so it does _NOT_ concern you! And don't you  
_dare_ calling me names again, blue eyes!" Lucifer roared, royally   
pissed that Zechs had the nerve to contradict him.  
  
  
"Duo's life is in danger, and Heero was attacked as well. That   
_makes_ it our business. Besides, the six of us _are_ family. You   
can't argue against that, _big daddy_ !" If one thing didn't sit too  
well with Zechs, it was being chastised like a little child.  
  
Trowa watched the verbal battle in silent amusement, once more   
wishing for a camera (preferably one that would never run out of   
tape or power in the important moments).  
  
"Kisama! Stop quarreling like some stupid onnas, you two! You'd   
better look, it seems like Duo is going to wake up soon!"  
  
"Howgh, chief Wufei has spoken..." Trowa muttered under his breath   
before he - like the others - turned his attention towards Duo,   
whose breathing rhythm indeed had changed.  
  
Lucifer held his breath, his fingers clasped together in a silent  
prayer. Knowing just too well who had done this, he expected the   
worst, since his son unknowingly had skidded into the affairs of  
the high elven crown.  
  
  
Finally, Duo opened his eyes. They were dull and lifeless, no   
recognition sparkling in their once joyful depth. A crimson tear   
escaped Lucifer's eyes, as he carefully searched for Duo/Azrael's   
soul. As he had feared, he couldn't find it.  
  
"Gone..." he whispered, unbelieving, then roared his sorrow out   
into the world: "That bastard has stolen his soul!!!"   
  
"What... what do you mean by that?" Quatre asked fearfully, his   
voice shaking.  
  
"Well... being my son, Azrael is half an angel. That part of him   
is immortal. But being his mother's son as well, makes him half an   
elf, too. And that makes him vulnerable. Iron hurts him, terribly   
so, and without the immortal/long-living soul of it's bearer inside,  
the wounds won't heal and his body will start aging rapidly. And   
have you ever seen a mortal body that is several millenia old? A   
living one, I mean? I doubt that. If we won't find his soul _fast_,   
his body will start wilting away... and without a body, even _his_   
soul can die..."   
  
Wufei propped a finger into his ear, pretending to clean it.   
  
"Excuse me... did you just say something about 'several millenia',  
or is there something wrong with my ears?"  
  
"Yes, young dragon, I said those words indeed. Your hearing is   
excellent, don't worry." Lucifer quirked one fine eyebrow at the   
antics of the young Chinese.  
  
"_Now_ I _do_ worry..." Wufei muttered. The thought of being called  
a dragon seemed to become _much_ more ominous all of a sudden.  
  
"Why don't we go downstairs and talk there?... I don't want to wake  
Heero." Quatre suggested shyly.  
  
//Besides, seeing Duo like this really gives me the creeps...// he   
thought to himself, shuddering at the thought of maybe losing his   
friend. The others agreed and so they went downstairs, never   
noticing Heero's lips curl into an anticipating grin.  
  
//Hah, this is _much_ easier than I had expected// Lord Mithuril   
thought, eyeing his 'new' body critically in the full-lenght mirror   
at the wall.   
  
//I have to get new clothes, this spandex-stuff is so... so...   
whatever// Rummaging through Heero's backpack, he grabbed a pair of  
faded jeans and a light blue shirt.  
  
//So, beautiful boy... now to you...// he carefully approached the  
still form of his opponent. Making wide sweeping gestures with his   
arms, he suddenly held a diamond, Duo's soul trapped within it.  
  
"Look, you little bastard. There's your body, untouched - for now.  
I wonder when your friends downstairs will realize that it was not   
you but your pretty friend here, I raped with that... thing... I   
saved your body for a special occasion... in other words, for _now_.  
Oh, not right away, no worry... First I will indulge myself in   
touching it, knowing that you'll know it. Do you wish your friend's  
soul were in control over this body right now? That _he_ would touch  
you the way I do?"  
  
Heero's fingers slowly traced the dark crescents of Duo's now-closed  
lashes, trailing along one fine cheekbone then resting on full   
lips, slightly parted. A soft whimpering sound escaped the diamond,   
fear written clearly into the eyes of Duo's soul.  
  
//That is interesting... even without his body, his soul can emit   
sounds...//  
  
With a fanatic gleam in his eyes, Mithuril, member of the elven   
royalty, placed the soul-jewel onto the the pillow, right next to   
Duo's head. Then he lowered Heero's body onto the one lying on the   
bed.  
  
"Are you watching, you little shit?" the elven lord whispered   
through Heero's lips, with Heero's voice, moving his hands under   
Duo's shirt, caressing every inch of the smooth skin below, before  
he - almost gently - closed his fingers around Duo's nipples and   
squeezed, hard. A strangled moan worked it's way through the   
tightly closed lips of the trapped soul, arousing Heero's sleeping   
body.  
  
Suddenly Duo understood. That man, which he didn't even know, had  
not taken possession of Heero's body.. he was controlling Heero's  
mind, which was still trapped within said body.  
  
//Oh my... oh ancient ones... that can't be true...// Duo was   
terrified. He was going to be raped by Heero... or rather, Heero's  
body... against both their wills. And there was _nothing_ he could  
do about it.  
  
When darkness reached for his soul, pulling it into her warm   
embrace, he gladly surrendered, not wanting to see what was about   
to come. 


	11. chapter eleven

Midnight Angel  
  
part eleven  
  
  
... warm ...  
  
... soft ...  
  
... timeless ...  
  
Duo felt warm and safe. He knew not, that his enemy, hidden within his best  
friend's body, had pulled all clothes off both their bodies, that he had  
brutally entered Duo's virgin body, pounding into him deeply, not caring  
for the tearing insides of the angelic half-breed.  
  
Duo's mind was surrounded with darkness, comforting him, sparing him  
the pain.   
  
Quietly the Angel of Darkness sighed. She really liked the young Bringer  
of Death. He had been a sweet child, when still in the gentle care of  
both his parents, and was beautiful now in his adult body. Pouring more of   
her magic - she was the one who brought sleep, therefore feeling somewhat   
related to Azrael - into his mind, her embrace grew even tighter.  
  
She only wished she could reach Lucifer, but she had never had a voice,  
had never communicated with anyone.  
  
In horrified fascination she watched, as the crazy elf withdrew from  
Azrael's fragile shell. She soundlessly gasped, when he drew a gun  
from under Azrael's best friend's pillow, and started to pump it in  
and out of Duo's already terribly injured behind.  
  
The barrier within her soul, that had blocked off her mental vocal  
chords, cracked, and finally she was able to contact her brother.  
  
::LUCIFER!!! HURRY, YOUR SON'S SHELL IS IN GRAVE DANGER!!!::  
  
Below, on earth, Lucifer choked on the hot chocoate, Quatre had made.  
Letting the fine porcelain cup shatter on the floor, he raced upstairs,  
taking only every third or forth step.  
  
Feeling his enemie's father approaching, Lord Mithuril let the diamond  
disappear and vanished from the mortal's body. There was no way this  
womicidal winged 'thing' would catch him.  
  
When Lucifer arrived, the others coming right after him, Heero's  
prone body lay sprawled over Duo's naked form, the bloodied gun still  
in his hand, it's muzzle still within Duo.  
  
From far away, safely within his castle's walls, Mithuril used the  
last of his rapidly dwindling power of the Japanese boy's body to  
slightly move his left index finger - the one that lay against the   
gun's trigger.  
  
A shot rang out.  
  
"NOOO!" Lucifer rushed to his son and the other person, whom he had  
thought to be a friend of Azrael's. The boy, whose neck was being  
almost crushed in his tight grip, stared at him with vacant eyes.  
Slowly he loosened his grip, knowing that this mortal was not at   
fault.  
  
Letting the boy fall back onto the bed, he carefully examined his son's  
body. Idly wondering at what angle the gun had been held within   
Azrael's body, Lucifer used his power to vaporize the bullet, that  
was stuck in the bone of Duo's pelvis.  
  
  
... discomfort...  
  
... pain ...  
  
... WHITE-HOT AGONY!...  
  
The darkness disappeared, and Azrael found himself back in that  
magic stone. Through the still-existing link to his body he could  
feel what that bastard stranger had done to him. If only he knew,  
_why_ that had happened. It was clear to him, that that elf hated  
him for some reason, but he had no idea, what had caused this   
hatred.   
  
He sure as hell had never met this person, that he was sure of.  
  
The stranger, who had realized that Duo had woken up, looked into  
the magic diamont with a sneer.  
  
"Has the little shit awakened at last?"  
  
::What do you want from me, you troll?::  
  
Astounded that the little half-breed actually was still able  
to communicate, it took a second for Mithuril to register the   
insult.  
  
"TROLL??? You stupid half-breed! I am - unlike _you_ - a pure  
elf. Therefore, I am much more fitting than you, to become heir  
to the throne!"  
  
To say that Duo was confused was a gross understatement.  
  
::Are you stupid? You dick-head, before _you_ would be heir to  
the throne, My mom's uncle Sorial would have to die first. And  
_he_ one healthy guy, I don't think he'll die within the next   
two or three millenia. And even _if_ he died, the next one in  
the line would... be... oh....::  
  
Duo finally knew why he had been abducted.   
  
::Great-uncle Sorial is dead, right?::  
  
"That is correct."  
  
::And the king's health is dwindling, right?::  
  
"Correct again."  
  
//Uh oh, seems like I am in a shitload of trouble...//  
  
::And you are connected to the royal family _how_?::  
  
"My mother was Rhianna, daughter of Lord Thorndal and Lady  
Shandra, youngest daughter of the king."  
  
//... fuck... seems like that jerk is going to off me...//  
  
While they had been talking, Mithuril had taken the soul-jewel  
to his favorite gold-smith.  
  
"Joran, would you please be so kind to put this beautiful gem  
into that necklace I ordered you to do ?"  
  
"But... m'lord... there's a soul..."  
  
"SHUT up, peasant. You wouldn't want me to destroy you, would  
you?"  
  
"*gulp* no, m'lord. Forgive me..."  
  
After the smith had done what he'd been told, Lord Mithuril  
took his new charm and sealed it with a powerful spell.  
  
When Duo tried to contact him again, his words didn't come  
through the magical barrier.  
  
"So, young boy. You will not be able to contact anyone anymore,  
but I am sure you found that out already." Mithuril told Duo  
as he arrived in his sleeping chamber.   
  
"Furthermore, no one will be able to realize you are within this   
gem. All they will see is a beautiful, flawless black diamond. And   
like this, you will stay for the rest of your sorry life, in all   
eternity, trapped within my new jewelry, forced to witness the day,   
when I will finally rise to the throne and rule over all the fair  
folks." The lord started laughing a cruel laughter, never noticing   
that somebody had witnessed his words, spoken to the charm around  
his neck.  
  
Quietly Pick crept out of the Lord's chambers.  
  
//Whom might that asshole have trapped in that magic jewel of his?  
Obviously somebody who might have been standing in his way to the  
throne...//  
  
The Squirrel-boy climbed down the ivy that covered the castle walls,  
and in no time, he sat in his favorite spot, the shoulder of his best  
friend Snarl, a high-ranking sorcerer among the Nekojin. [1]  
  
"Oi, kitty-cat, guess what?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Mithuril, that ass, has taken somebody prisoner."  
  
"So?"  
  
"That somebody might be connected to the throne, which that bastard  
not-so-secretly tries to claim as his own..." That got the mage's  
interest.  
  
"Really? Did you find out who it was?"  
  
"If I knew who it was, I wouldn't have said 'somebody' right?"  
  
"We'll talk about this in the evening. Did you find what we're looking  
for?"  
  
"No. There was absolutely nothing that could connect him to the murders  
of Prince Sorial and his sister Faleena. Sadly." Pick sighed.   
  
Later that evening, at the campfire, they both thought long and hard,  
who the captured one might be.  
  
"Snarl, the king had one son and three daughters, right?"  
  
"Right. Prince Adolar and Princess Shandra were the only ones who had  
children. And since Shandra only had Rhianna, who married Keroon and   
gave birth to that bastard Mithuril."  
  
"So the prisoner must be from Adolar line. Since Sorial had no children,   
it must be that offspring of his his sister's daughter, I think India was  
her name, right?"  
  
"Right again. She married the fallen Angel, Lucifer. That makes him  
a halfbreed between the two most noble races existing... I think we  
should try to contact the realm of angels, if they know something."  
  
"All right. But first I need some sleep." With those words, Pick curled  
his small form into a little ball on Snarl's belly, who was lying in the  
soft grass and staring at the starry sky above.  
  
--------------------------------------  
  
[1]cat-boy, but I guess you knew that already, right? 


	12. chapter twelve

Part 12  
  
Slowly, Heero forced himself to wake up. No easy task, because  
he felt exhausted.  
  
//Ridiculous, I feel like I have been sleeping too long already,  
but still I feel exhausted?//  
  
"Look, it seems like he is waking up at last." He thought he  
heard somebody mumble, he guessed it was Quatre.  
  
"Ungh. Morning. Something the matter?" His friends and a stranger  
stared at him.  
  
"Who's that guy, a new contact?"  
  
"Heero, don't you remember?"  
  
"Remember what, Barton?  
  
//...strange... I feel like I _should_ remember something...//  
  
A pair of lifeless violet eyes and the sight of a violated body   
flashed into his mind.  
  
//NO! It can't be... right...?// Horrified he whispered  
  
"...please tell me it was a nightmare... please..." Tears threatend  
to spill from his eyes. The others cast down their eyes, only the   
stranger returned his wary gaze openly, something within his eyes   
seemed strangely familiar, though he couldn't figure out why.  
  
Until he realized that they were violet - similar to Duo's.  
  
"You. Who are you?" His mind hastily pulled him away from that  
other question he had asked, which nobody seemed to be willing to  
answer anyway.  
  
"I am Lucifer." Lucifer answered, regarding the young man in   
front of him with a measuring look. He knew, after all, that this  
mortal was one of the reasons why his son dwelled among the mortals.  
  
//Lucifer... Lucifer... I heard that name somewhere... isn't it...//  
  
"Lucifer? Aren't you supposed to be an evil creature, trying to   
seduce mankind to sin, or something like that nonsense?" He faintly   
remembered hearing a priest saying that, when he had been hiding in   
a church during mass.   
  
Back then he had wondered, why Duo had burst out laughing, when he had  
told him about that particular experience, mumbling something that   
sounded like:  
  
"If Lucifer was the devil, I'd be a hell-spawn..."  
  
Lucifer stared at the boy. He seemed to take the subject quite   
lightly.  
  
"Yes, those nasty things are said about me. But I am forgiven, so   
please refrain from calling me evil, okay?"  
  
Heero nodded.  
  
"Okay guys, enough of the chit-chat, how is it if we'd _finally_ talk  
about our possibilities, regarding the rescue of Duo's soul?" Wufei  
demanded.  
  
//Rescue Duo's soul...?// Only now he realized, what his mind had   
tried to prevent him from knowing. He gasped loudly.  
  
"I remember..." he murmured softly, sadly.  
  
"You do? What did happen, tell us, describe the man that was respon-  
sible for this!" Lucifer was eager to finally have his suspicions  
confirmed.  
  
"There was a man... I just laid Duo down on the bed to let him sleep  
off his fever, when there suddenly was something that looked like   
one of those magic portals one can see in various B-rated SciFi- or  
Fantasy-movies... And then there came three men, one of them looking  
like a noble-man, the other two in some kind of uniform..." Heero   
reviewed.  
  
"YESSS! Tell me about the lord!" Lucifer urged Heero to go on.  
  
"He... had darkbrown hair, a little longer than Zechs' over there,   
tied in a ponytail. He has... a beard, sharp features, with very...  
imressive... cheekbones, and cold grey eyes. He was wearing dark   
green clothes, they seemed to be made of velvet, or something   
similar."  
  
"YES!!! I _KNEW_ it!! That bastard is _soooo_ dead!" Lucifer fumed.  
  
Suddenly he realized  
  
"Shit... I cannot walk in the Elven world unnoticed... and I am less  
than welcome there..."  
  
"Why is that?" Zechs asked, curious.  
  
"My wife, India. She was a princess... and really beautiful...  
most people didn't like the fact that she married an angel that had  
fallen from grace. We lived a happy life, and we were both so very  
happy when on our 500th wedding anniversary our son Azrael was   
born... such a beautiful child..." Lucifer trailed off, his mind   
dwelling in happier days.  
  
"That still doesn't explain why you're not welcome there any   
longer..." Wufei reminded him in a gentle voice. He could see how   
much it pained Lucifer to talk about whatever happened, but they   
had to know.  
  
He was fairly certain that he knew what would come, anyway.  
  
"Azrael was... barely five years old, when I received notice that   
our Lord had forgiven me. I had to return to the angels' realm   
immediately, I just had the time to say farewell to my beloved   
wife... She died, not three minutes after I had left. She was   
murdered... And I still don't know who killed her..."  
  
Lucifer broke down, sobbing. Gently Wufei embraced him.  
  
"Let me tell you that I feel with you, Lucifer." He gently   
whispered, his heart touched by the fact that even the endless  
had to mourn their loved ones who had been taken from them.  
  
"How could you possibly know what I feel?" Lucifer asked quietly,  
tears still streaming down his snow-white skin, violet eyes almost  
black with grief.  
  
"I too lost my wife by the hands of murderers." Wufei simply stated.  
  
"You..? But you are so young... how can you bear her loss?" Lucifer  
asked in despair.   
  
"I know that she still lives on in my heart, for as long as I live  
and remeber her." Wufei said, his own eyes welling up with tears he  
refused to spill. Lucifer returned Wufei's embrace fiercely, and so  
they kneeled on the floor, clinging to each other, afraid to drown  
in their sorrow if they'd let go now.  
  
The others quietly left the bedroom, wanting to give those grieving  
souls some privacy.   
  
Quatre was the first one to notice Heero's slight limping.  
  
"Are you okay, Heero?" he asked in concern.  
  
"Hn, of course. - No. Not at all. I hurt." Heero confessed.  
  
"What did he do to you? Besides wrapping you up in slimy vines?"  
  
Heero shuddered.   
  
"Didn't you see it? The other slimy thing that bastard left in the  
room for you to find?"  
  
Quatre knew instantly what Heero had been referring to.  
  
"You mean... he ... he used that on _you_?" Heero nodded, ashamed  
that he hadn't been able to stop the intruder.  
  
Quatre realized that and tried to comfort him.  
  
"It is not your fault, Heero. That was one powerful bastard, you  
couldn't have done anything to prevent this from happening.   
Probably you couldn't have stopped him with wing and the Zero  
Sytem. He was just too fucking powerful. Hell, _I_ didn't even   
feel that something was wrong - until it was too late. So if   
any of this is your fault, I am to blame as well. Capeesh?"  
  
"..." Heero nodded, a little dazed. He had never heard Quatre  
using more than one (if any) swear words in one speech.  
  
About five minutes later, Lucifer and Wufei joined the others  
downstairs, both with red-rimmed eyes.  
  
  
  
Words of comfort, Quatre wanted to speak, died in his throat when  
yet _another_ flame-pillar appeared, this one in a blue-golden hue.  
  
Lucifer, who still had been brooding over what to do, and how to   
find Azrael's soul, snapped to attention.  
  
The flame died and another man stood there, supposedly another  
angel, since he choose the same way of appearing that Lucifer had.  
  
"Good afternoon, Lucy fair" the angel said, his bright blue eyes  
sparkling merrily. Lucifer snorted.  
  
"Don't call me that, brother. Are you here as yourself, or is it  
business?"  
  
"Business." The eyes of the other angel lost all color, until they  
were twin pool of pure white light. With another voice, he spoke   
again.  
  
"Lucifer, son. From the fairy realm I received word, that maybe your  
son might be missing, and I decided to ask if that rumor was true."  
  
Lucifer knelt down in front of the other.  
  
"Yes, my Lord, Azrael is missing indeed. His shell, terribly injured,  
is still with his friends in this realm of mortals, but his soul is  
missing. May I ask why you show that much concern over that matter?"  
  
"You may. For your son's soul to disappear, one from the fairy world   
must have been in the mortal world, and you know that I dislike those  
creatures to meddle with what is _mine_. So a fairy, elf or some   
other freak in _my_ creation is something that I cannot ignore." The   
stranger's eyes lost their weird gleam, and he smiled again.  
  
"That were His words. But you know that He cares, even if He doesn't  
admit it. Everybody in the heavens adores your beautiful child. Would  
you care to repeat to me, what you told Him? Maybe I can help you in  
one way or another."  
  
"Sure, Gabriel." Lucifer repeated his words to the Archangel, this   
time lacking the sour tone that his words had had when speaking to   
his lord.  
  
"Oh, Lu-lu, that is so terrible."  
  
"Yeah. But tell me, since when does He listen to rumors from the   
other realm?"  
  
"Oh, actually it was me who brought it to him. I was contacted by the  
sorcerer Snarl, remember that cute cat-boy we once met? He is an   
adult now, and kept every promise of beauty that we saw in his child-  
body so long ago." The others couldn't believe their eyes; they would   
have never imagined, that one day they would see an archangel with a   
leer that rivalled Duo at his most wicked times.  
  
And the effect that had to their bodies... they were all quite glad  
that they were sitting, Trowa and Zechs with a paper they had been  
reading spread over both their laps, Quatre had his legs crossed, a  
bad habit he had successlessly tried to get rid of. And Wufei was  
glad that in his wide pants he could hid every evidence of his   
arousal. And Heero - well Spandex-boy was standing behind the counter  
in the kitchenette, without any wish to come away from behind it.  
  
"How could I _not_ remember? It was quite funny to watch you and  
Raphael, trying to make him choose which one of you were the most  
beautiful in his eyes." Lucifer laughed quietly.  
  
"Yeah. And he choose you over us. Stupid child..." Gabriel mock-  
pouted.  
  
"Anyway, I told Snarl that I would contact you to find out Azrael's  
whereabouts. And here I am... maybe I should bring his body to  
Raphael, so he can heal it."  
  
"Yeah right. But how come that Snarl asked you about Azrael in the  
first place?"  
  
"He said his partner Pick, the little spy, had broken into Lord  
Mithurils castle, trying to find a connection between him and the  
murder of Crown Prince Sorial." Lucifer's expression clouded.  
  
"That bastard again!" The temperature in the room seemed to  
increase.  
  
"Calm down, brother. Anyway, the spy, Pick, he observed Mithuril  
speaking to a black gem in his newest piece of jewelry, telling  
him about his plans to conquer the High Throne. And your son is  
the last obstacle in his way."  
  
"I know that!" Lucifer growled. "That is why I hurried here as  
soon as I heard of Sorial's death. I wanted to warn Azrael, but  
I was too late already." He hung his head. "I couldn't save my  
wife, and now I am in danger of losing my son as well..."  
  
Comfortingly Gabriel embraced his dark brother, their auras  
flaring up, mixing to twilight where shadow and brightness   
intermingled.  
  
Sighing Gabriel let go.  
  
"You know, Snarl is still waiting for an answer and advice on how  
to act. Maybe you should send someone with them to retrieve the  
jewel that holds your son." Lucifer nodded, then stared at the   
five Preventers with a positively wicked expression.  
  
"Hey boys, you up to some serious elf-kicking?" 


	13. chapter thirteen

MIDNIGHT ANGEL  
  
Part thirteen  
  
When Gabriel went upstairs, to pick up the fragile shell, still  
Lying on the bed, he was shocked how paperthin the skin around that  
too-thin frame felt. Carefully he cradled the limp form in his arms  
and transported back, right into Raphael's healing quarters.  
  
"RAPH!!! C'mere, I need your help!"  
  
"Coming." The Archangel Raphael strode to his brother, his arms  
packed with various herbs.  
  
"So the rumors were true?" He asked, after having cast a glance at  
Azrael's body. He tried very hard to project an aura of calm - even  
though he was horrified and _very_ angry.  
  
Gabriel nodded curtly.  
  
"As you can see. Lucifer is going to send Azrael's more or less   
mortal friends to the Elven country for some serious ass-kicking.   
We will need your help with that, to hide their mortality. But   
first, take care of Azrael. What good would it be if they retrieved  
his soul and there were no body to return to, ne?" Raphael nodded.   
  
He cast a powerful force-field, wove his most effective healing and   
preserving spells into it, then released it to surround Duo's still-  
naked form. The blood, that had still been trickling from his   
various wounds, stopped flowing immediately.  
  
Raphael summoned a minor angel that was helping him in his   
'hospital', and instructed him to permanently guard that force-field  
and the body within, that slowly started healing. Both angels   
returned to earth, where Lucifer and the Preventers were waiting   
impatiently.  
  
"We are ba-ack!" Gabriel trumpeted loudly, making Raphael who stood  
right next to him wince.  
  
"Ouch, I still need my ears!" He scolded the messenger angel.  
  
"Ooops, sorry. So, guys, this is Raphael, the healer. He'll disguise  
your human aura, by overlaying it with auras of power. But first   
things first, there's _no_ way of being unsuspicious with those   
outfits." He snapped his fingers and murmured some incomprehensible   
words.  
  
Soon after that, Trowa and Heero found themselves garbed in Leather,  
Zechs in the finest silk and linen outfits made for noble men; Quatre  
found himself in baggy pants that were held together at his ancles   
and A velvet vest. Only Wufei stayed the way he was.  
  
"Okay, weapons next." Gabriel muttered. Suddenly, Heero found himself  
holding a crossbow.  
  
"I know, you'd have preferred a gun, but those things do not exist in  
the  
other world." Gabriel apologized.  
  
Zechs got a long sword, Trowa found a dozen throwing knives attached  
to his, belt and Quatre held a staff with a gem at it's top. Again,   
Wufei received nothing.  
  
"Excuse me, but... have you forgotten me?" He inquired.  
  
"Huh? Oh, you. Nope, didn't forget you, but you are special. Let us   
deal with those ordinary humans first." Gabriel replied. "Okay, now   
it's your turn, Raph." The one addressed raised his arms in the air,   
closed his eyes and began to chant. Fine pearls of sweat gathered at   
his forehead, it was obvious that what he was doing was not easy.  
  
A few minutes later, Trowa's hair was green, his skin a shade darker,  
and he had pointed ears. Same went for Heero. Zechs suddenly was at   
least one head taller, his features thinner, his ears were pointed,   
too.  
  
And Quatre - the others almost burst out laughing. He had the size   
of a five-year-old, and attached to his back was a pair of dragonfly  
wings.  
  
"hah hah, that is _so_ funny." He stated dryly.  
  
"So, _now_ about you..." Raphael approached Wufei. The others   
looked, curious what would happen now. Lucifer and Gabriel joined   
their brother, and they formed a loose triangle around the Chinese  
man. Raphael touched his forehead with his right index finger, Lu   
and Gabriel each touched one temple.  
  
Together they chanted, and Wufei felt something within himself   
respond to those three voices. A low roar rumbled deep in his chest,  
and suddenly,scales began growing at his lower arms. His legs changed   
their shape, they were now more reptilian, and a long serpentine tail   
grew at his lower back.  
  
Two horns protruded from his forehead, his eyes glowed golden, and   
his hair hung shaggy down half of his back and two marks showed each   
left and right on his face. [1]  
  
"I remember..." he hissed through clenched teeth. "But... did it   
have to be _this_ form you choose for resurrection?"  
  
"It was the easiest for us to accomplish, and the easiest for you   
to regain your memories of days long gone. Besides, it lies within   
your power to change into a more humanoid form..." Gabriel explained,  
taking in the floored expressions of the others with a huge grin on   
his face.  
  
Suddenly the vid-phone rang. Without thinking Wufei - he stood closest   
to it - switched it on.  
  
"What!?" he snarled - right into Lady Une's face. She stared at him,  
eyes wide and mouth moved without saying anything.   
  
"Lady Une? Are you alright?" A familiar voice that made Heero wince  
could be heard. Une just pointed at her vidphone, and a few seconds  
later Relena's face appeared. But Wufei of course had already fled  
the line of vision, leaving Zechs to be seen, who had hastily hid his  
pointed ears under Duo's baseball cap.  
  
"Relena-chan, how are you?" he inquired.  
  
"Milliardo?" she squeaked "Are you wearing Maxwell's cap or is that  
my imagination?" Relena stared at his brother as if he had grown a  
second head. That view was so terrible to her eyes, that she never  
got the idea that Une might have been staring at somebody else.  
  
"Yes, I am. Is that a problem with you?"  
  
"We are speaking of _Maxwell's_ hat. I bet with you that idiot has  
lice or something. He's such a punk." Wufei growled deep in his   
throat, and Heero scowled ominously, he would have _loved_ to wring  
her neck.   
  
"_Re_lena. I assure you that Duo is a fine young man, and he sure  
as hell has NO lice. Just because you don't like him, you don't have  
to talk bad about him. Especially not behind his back.  
  
"Well, I would say it to his face if that twit was here." She   
replied haughtily. "Where is everbody anyway? I heard that all of you  
finished your missions together, are you not together at the same  
safe-house? I mean, I don't care for the others, but... is Heero not  
there?" She wanted to know.  
  
"No. Everybody is in hospital to visit Duo, who is fighting with  
Death right now as we speak. I was just on my way to go there too."  
  
"That idiot is dying? What did he do?"  
  
"Why do you assume that it was his fault?"  
  
"Brother, please. Everybody knows he is a complete airhead. It must  
have been his fault."   
  
Lucifer had enough. Snarling he stepped in front of the vid-screen.  
  
"Young lady, watch your mouth. I'm in the mood to kill somebody,   
and if you continue talking that bad about my son, I might rip your   
troat out!" Lucifer spat before anybody could restrain him.  
  
  
Relena stared at the beautiful man in front of her. She had never seen  
such exquisite features. But when another man stepped behind the black-  
haired one, she had to suppress a gasp. Se was sure that nothing and   
nobody could ever surpass the beauty of the newcomer.  
  
His pale blonde hair fell in heavy waves somewhere below his waist,  
clear blue eyes resembled a clear summer-sky, and he wore what seemed  
to be a white robe with light-blue linings. She dreamily sighed. She  
would have to ask her brother about him, as soon as he came home.  
  
"Excuse my brother's harsh behaviour, young lady, but he is very   
enraged that right when he finally found his son, the boy is lying in  
a coma." Gabriel lied without turning red.  
  
"Relena?" Zechs pushed Lucifer and Gabriel out of his sister's   
predatory gaze. He couldn't have his sister stalking a bunch of   
angels, could he?  
  
"Huh?"   
  
"Was there a _special_ reason why Lady Une called?"  
  
"Oh, err, I think not. I just... eh heh... asked her to contact you,  
because err... I wanted to speak with Heero..."  
  
"D-uh. Same old, same old, eh?" Zechs slapped his forehead.  
  
"NO! I mean... it is important!"  
  
"And what might be so important that you can't wait until we come  
home?" Relena slightly coloured.  
  
"Well... I wanted to ask him if he'd like to have a spring-wedding."  
  
Zechs stared at her, unbelieving. It took the combined strength of   
Quatre, Trowa and Raphael to prevent Heero from stepping into her   
Sight and threaten her to death.  
  
"Wedding? And since when, if I may ask, are you a couple?"  
  
"But Brother!" Relena stared at Zechs. "Everybody knows that   
Heero loves me!"  
  
"Really, than am I nobody?" Relena stared at him haughtily.  
  
"Maybe... after all, you gave up on the name of Peacecraft."  
  
"Yeah, I don't want anybody to connect me to a dimwit like you!"  
Zechs limit of tolerance had been crossed, he was really angry  
at her.  
  
"Face it sister, everyone but you knows that Heero can't stand the  
sight of you!" Having said this, he pushed the button and   
disconnected the line.  
  
Meanwhile, Raphael had explained to everybody, that Wufei was indeed  
a dragon. He was even known in the world of mortals, Shenlong was the  
name the Chinese had given him, Ryu-oh he was called in Japan.  
  
"So, what exactly are your abilities, Wufei?" Quatre had to know   
that, for the case that he would have to think up a strategy.  
  
"I can change between a humanoid form, this hybrid body, and a pure  
dragon of choice." Wufei demonstrated by morphing into a tall young   
man, a head taller than Trowa, silky long hair that reached to his  
knees, the face looking still like Wufei, only a bit older.  
  
"Maybe you should keep that form for now." Trowa suggested. Everybody  
agreed.   
  
"Okay, can we go now?" Zechs asked, impatiently.   
  
"If you think you can Snarl and Pick on your own, go ahead." Raphael  
answered.  
  
"And how are we supposed to find them?" Quatre wanted to know.  
  
Suddenly a tiny golden light appeared, looking suspiciously like a   
firefly.   
  
"What do you want from me, Gaby? I was busy playing chess with Mike!"  
  
//Okay, definitely not a firefly// Trowa thought.  
  
"Cool it down, Uriel. We need you to play 'Guiding Light' for those  
children here. And you know that Michael hates to be called Mike."  
  
"Hey, we are nineteen, Zechs is twenty-two!" Quatre argued.  
  
"Yeah, that's what I said; children." Gabriel smiled.  
  
"So, you want me to lead a bunch of kids. Where to?"  
  
"Into the fairy world. To the great forest of no return. Snarl and  
Pick are waiting there."  
  
"Ah, so that is why you disguised them... clever. But was it really   
necessarey to reawake him?" the tiniy light that was Uriel shot a   
tiny electric spark at Wufei that stung him at his nose.  
  
"Yes. No matter how they look like now, they are still pretty weak.  
The dragon is the only one with real offensive powers." Raphael ex-  
plained.  
  
Hhey, I am _not_ weak!" Heero commented heatedly.  
  
"Yeah, right. Of course you are strong enough to reflect a lightning  
spell that might be cast at you... silly me." Gabriel shot back in a  
sarcastic voice.  
  
Heero paled, remembering _how_ defenseless he had been against   
Mithuril's mind attack. He swallowed.  
  
"Hn. sorry. point taken." he muttered into the vague direction where  
the four angels stood.  
  
"All right, let's go. We wouldn't want to keep them waiting, right?"   
Uriel pressed on. He wanted to continue his chess-match with Michael  
before the warrior angel decided he'd have to cheat if he wanted a  
chance to win.  
  
"Yay, Preventers to the rescue!" Quatre quipped.  
  
  
-----------------------  
  
[1] Yes, I felt _very_ much inspired by Breath of Fire IV... don't sue me   
^^ 


	14. chapter fourteen

Midnight Angel  
by ShinimegamisScythe  
  
  
Part 14  
  
Inwardly Uriel groaned. Being in the mortal realm always  
gave him a splitting headache. He had been looking forward  
to having this chess-match with Michael for weeks, and now  
Gabriel had summoned him away from that delightful game  
(which he was about to win) to play guiding light for a  
bunch of disguised mortals. Life was just unfair.  
  
Deep within his soul he reached for a thread of magic, and  
opened a portal that would lead him and the others into the  
elven world.  
  
"Well then, follow me. And _don't_ stray from the pathway,  
it wouldn't do you any good." he instructed the Preventer  
agents.  
  
With these words he stepped into what resembled a tunnel  
that was built some time ago in the Middle Ages or so.  
  
"This is so exciting!" Quatre exclaimed. "I'd never have  
imagined that a magic portal would look so... so solid..." A  
mocking snicker escaped Gabriel's throat.  
  
"That's because Uriel _makes_ it look solid. He detests the  
_true_ look of portals, because they look so... lacking a  
better description, I'd say _instable_ . Just looking at them  
makes him feel nauseous, right, beloved brother?"  
  
With a flick of his fingers he made the Preventers see what  
a portal truly looked like: multiple colours swirled in a  
kaleidoscope of light, making the head spin if one looked at  
it too long.  
  
Heero's eyes crossed and uncrossed once, before he dryly stated:  
  
"As I said: 'Like in a B-rated Sci-Fi or Fantasy-movie'"  
  
The others agreed silently, but before any of them could  
comment on that statement, Uriel (his face had a slightly  
green hint to it's colour) had re-solidified the portal.  
  
"Now hurry up! We _don't_ have all the time in the world,  
you know." he pressed on.  
  
//*sigh* I _knew_ this was going to be a _bad_ day... // he  
mused, while he led them to the other world. //If this weren't  
for the rescue of sweet little Azrael, I wouldn't have come  
at all...//  
  
------------------------------------------------  
  
One after the other, they disappeared into the portal. It  
was a rather long tunnel, through which they had to walk,  
only lit by a few scattered torches, set into the wall in  
seemingly random intervalls.  
  
//With all of us dressed like this, and the medieval  
atmosphere of this tunnel, I feel like I somehow got sucked  
into a fairytale...// Quatre thought, walking hastily on his  
shorter legs.  
  
"You know, Winner, I'd suggest you to test those wings of  
yours. They are not just there for decoration, you know?"  
Wufei almost bent double in his effort to whisper into  
Quatre's ear without the others hearing him.  
  
Quatre looked up, surprised. He had already forgotten about  
these new parts of his body. Hesitantly he flexed these new  
muscles in his back, and judging by his shadow, he had found  
the right ones, since his shadow-wings were fluttering slightly.  
  
Five minutes later he flew as if he'd been born with wings,  
as if he'd had all his lifetime to figure them out. And he had  
no longer a problem with keeping up with the others, much to  
his satisfaction.  
  
He sped up a bit, until he was flying next to Uriel, who  
had not transformed into his tiny glowing form, and was  
currently muttering into his non-existent beard.  
  
"Umm... Uriel? May I ask you a question?"  
  
"If I said no, I think you'd ask your question none the  
less, right?" The angel mumbled, annoyed. Quatre looked at  
him, slightly perplexed.  
  
"Uh, well, yes... I was wondering, what good am I in case  
of a battle? I mean... I'm so tiny... and this stupid stick  
is no help at all." Frustratedly he waved with his magic  
wand and stared at it when it released tiny colourful sparks.  
  
"... ooops... well, I guess it has some kind of use after  
all, eh?" he mumbled, more to himself than anyone else.  
  
"You are correct in that, oh bright one." Uriel answered  
sarcastically, still trying to clear the afterimages of the  
bright sparkling lights from his retina.  
  
"Cool. err... what exactly can I do with this?" Quatre inquired.  
  
Uriel thought about that for some time, before he finally  
answered:" Well, for one you can use it to clobber your  
enemy over the head... I can also teach you some basic  
spells, so you can do minor healing magic. I don't think  
this disguise is potent enough to let you work any offensive  
magic, though..."  
  
By the time that Uriel was done explaining, the group of  
travellers had reached the end of the tunnel, which was blocked  
by a closed door. Uriel lightly touched it and muttered a few  
words under his breath.  
  
Suddenly they were all surrounded by a bright light that flared  
up from the place where the Archangel of Companionship had  
touched the door, and they all had to close their eyes.  
  
When the light subsided, they were standing on an old dirty  
road, in the middle of nowhere, or rather, in the middle of  
a seemingly endless plain of grassland with only a few  
scattered bushes and trees here and there.  
  
"Umm... excuse me, but... did your brother not say 'Great  
forest of no return' or something like that? I mean, this  
area is great, no doubt, but where's the forest?" Heero  
inquired impatiently. Uriel rolled his eyes.  
  
"Well, oh omniscient one, the forest is a magical realm. And  
the suffix 'of no return' has been added for a reason. _If_ you  
manage to enter the forest, which you can do only on a special  
path, which, by the way, starts right here. And once inside  
the forest, you have to stay on the right pathways as well.  
Otherwise, the 'no return' part will apply to you as well..."  
  
Mumbling something about stupid mortals in general, and a group  
of certain mortals being especially dumb, Uriel started to walk  
down the road, not caring if the others followed or not.  
  
After a few hours of wandering in complete silence, Uriel  
suddenly stopped.  
  
"Is there something wrong?" Zechs asked, after he almost bumped  
into the angel from behind - he had been so busy admiring the  
landscape, that he almost had not noticed the sudden halt.  
  
"No, but the sun is setting, so I thought you might want to rest  
for the night." Uriel replied.  
  
"I agree, it will take us at least half another day until we  
reach the forest, and it wouldn't do us any good if we took a  
wrong step in the darkness." Wufei added.  
  
And so they settled down for the night, deciding that they'd  
stand watch in single-person-shifts, each lasting one hour. Heero  
took the first watch, since he claimed to be unable to sleep at  
the moment anyway. After his hour had passed, he woke Zechs, who  
just slapped at him, mumbled something Heero didn't quite  
understand, turned onto his other side and promptly fell asleep  
again - until Heero kicked him into the ribs.  
  
"Huh, whassup?" He murmured sleepily.  
  
"You, obviously." The words slipped from Heero's mouth before  
he could stop them. An embarrassed silence followed. Zechs finally cleared his throat, tugged at his shirt to cover the erection  
Heero had mentioned, and walked to the edge of the camp.  
  
//Damn you, Heero. That comment really wasn't necessary...// he  
thought to himself as he stared into the ink-black night. He  
moved a few more metres away from the rest of the company and  
quickly jerked off, hoping that nobody saw him, but all the  
while feeling as if he were being watched.  
  
TBC  
-----------  
*grins evilly* Yes, I know it is mean to stop here, but right now,  
my brain seems to be completely empty.  
  
Reviews are always welcome... 


	15. chapter fifteen

Yatta, finally the next part... I was wondering if I would   
ever get it done....  
  
  
Midnight Angel  
by ShinimegamisScythe  
  
chapter 15  
  
  
The next morning started with a spectacular sunrise, washing   
their surroundings in the softest hues of violet, pink and then   
finally the sun was sending warm golden rays to bath everything   
in a healthy glow.  
  
Wufei, who had had the last watch, enjoyed nature's awakening,   
listening to the joyful songs of an early bird. Memories of his   
previous life here came back to him, so he knew at once that the   
bird he could only hear, had blue-ish violet feathers, that   
gleamed slightly metallic, it's tail-feathers being long and   
fluffy, bleeding from blue over violet, red and fiery orange to a   
soft golden yellow. It's name was "dawn-singer", and it was the   
rarest bird of this world.  
  
The dragon prince smiled. He already felt as if he had never left   
this world. Urged on by a spontaneous joy of life, he altered his   
body into that of a Chinese dragon, and soon his voice, now   
resembling the tones of Tubular Bells, joined the dawn-singer's in   
a greeting of the new day.  
  
************  
  
When the last tones of this unusual duet ended, the bird flew to   
Wufei, sat down on his nose and looked him deep into the eye, as   
if searching for something in the core of his soul. Then she flew   
to the ground at his feet and proceeded to do something that   
obviously cost her a lot of effort. When she finally flew away, a   
loud and joyous trill emerging from her throat, a golden egg   
sprinkled in dark green, blue and violet dots lay in front of the   
startled dragon. A soft giggling sound told him that at least   
Quatre was awake, and when he turned his head towards the camp,   
he saw that all of his companions had already risen.  
  
"Ne, Wufei, are we supposed to call you daddy now?" Zechs teased,   
with Quatre commenting that he would have never supposed Wufei to   
be a foster father one day. Wufei ignored their comments as he   
shifted to his more human form, and quietly wrapped the egg into a   
thick layer of clothes. He felt honored that this beautiful being   
saw him fit to raise her little one, but he feared that he couldn't  
care for it properly on the quest they were on.  
  
The others gathered their belongings, and soon after, they   
continued on their trek towards the forest.  
  
---  
  
It was dark and lonely. Duo was aware that only his soul was   
caught in this blasted jewel that hung around Mithuril's neck on   
a long golden chain, but still he felt like he was shivering. To   
be alone in a dark place... that was one of the _very_ few   
scenarios he was a fraid of . He wanted to rock back and forth, to   
unravel and rebraid his hair, to _do_ anything, but... without a   
body that was... extremely difficult, or maybe 'impossible' was a   
more appropriate word.  
  
He remembered what the fucking bastard had told him; No matter   
what he did or said, nobody would hear him. Since he knew that   
the utter _silence_ of this non-place would drive him mad sooner   
or later, he began to fill the silence with words. Songs, to be   
exact. He began to sing whatever part of whichever song came to   
his mind, no matter if rock, pop, metal or medieval ballads...  
  
"Selbst Engel weinen, Engel leiden  
Engel fühlen sich mal alleine   
Sie verzweifeln wie jeder andre  
Fallen tief und haben Feinde..."  
  
(Even Angels cry, Angels suffer  
Angels sometimes feel alone  
They despair like everyone else  
Fall deep and have enemies)  
[1]  
  
//Whatever posessed me to sing _this_?// Duo berated himself, as   
he started to cry bitterly.  
  
  
Upon his return to the healing halls of heaven, Rapahel felt   
like somebody had stabbed a poisoned blade into his heart, when   
he looked at the oh-so-silent form of his nepew's body. Hot tears   
were rolling down Azrael's face.  
  
  
They had been walking for another eight hours, when at the horizon   
finally the outline of the forest could be seen; and all the time,   
the feeling ofbeing watched never left Zechs. But he never told the   
others, fearing they might think of him as paranoid.  
  
"There it is, the forest kingdom of the elves." Uriel finally said,   
when they reached the first line of the trees.  
  
"The elves' forest kingdom... say, how many kingdoms are there, in   
this world?" Quatre asked, curious being that he was.  
  
"How should _I_ know? I know that there's three elven kingdoms,   
one or two that belong to the fairies, the seas and lakes are the   
realms of the merfolk, the dragons usually live in the mountains,   
and there's a few human kingdoms as well." Uriel explained.  
  
"_Human_ kingdoms?" Heero asked,"hen why the fuck were we changed   
at all? Couldn't we have stayed the way we are?"  
  
Uriel stopped and glared at him. "Foolish boy! Don't you think we   
had a reason? Humans are stupid, no matter which world you use as   
an example. The kingdoms of men are warring each other; would you   
want to get caught in the middle of it, either being force-  
recruited for one of their armies, or suspected to be a spy of the   
enemy forces? I _don't_ think so." he told Heero, s if he was   
speaking to a dense child.  
  
Heero fought hard to suppress a blush, but of course, that was a   
battle he couldn't win. He felt really stupid. Even Trowa couldn't   
stop a wry grin to form on his lips at that sight. Who would have   
thought that Heero was _able_ to blush...  
  
"Hn" the young man bowed his head in ackknowledgement,   
trusting the archangel's better judgement. "I... apologize."  
  
Meanwhile, Wufei was plagued by entirely different thoughts.  
  
//How the heck am I supposed to hatch this egg? Worse yet, what   
am I supposed to do with the little bird, once it's out? I   
certainly do _not_ qualify as a ... a father of any kind...  
And _why_ do I have the distinct feeling that I have forgotten   
something?//  
  
"Hellooo~oooh!" A cheerful voice rang out from the branches of   
one of the trees. As one, they looked up. A small ... animal?   
person? waved a tiny hand.  
  
"Pick. It is good to meet you. Is Snarl close by?" Uriel   
asked, impatient frustration evident in his voice. "I need him   
to get these... these... this bunch of kids out of my hair!"  
  
"Awwww... you got something in your hair? Lemme help you!" With   
a mischievous grin that promised mayhem, Pick jumped onto the   
Archangel's head and gleefully began to disarray the hair that had   
been oh-so-artfully arranged into a beautiful up-do.  
  
With a strangled yelp, Uriel fished the grinning squirrel-boy out   
of his hair.  
  
"You little imp!" he cursed, as his hair began tumbling down   
half of his back in generous curls. Suddenly his usual stern face   
looked far more vulnerable, even sweet.  
  
Soft laughter could be heard from between the trees, and a   
melodical, almost purring voice said:  
  
"Pick, your ability of pissing people off never ceases to amaze me."  
  
Uriel's scowl, which had seemed to be permanently attached ever   
since he had been called away from his game, made way to a soft   
smile, when the slender silhouette of a person could be seen among   
the trees.  
  
Quatre quietly fluttered next to Trowa, and whispered into his ear.  
  
"Say, love, did Lucifer and the others never tell us, or is my   
brain malfunctioning? I mean, even though _we_ look decidedly   
strange right now, I somehow though our contact persons would be   
human... but as it is, the one has squirrel ears and tail, and   
could stand on your outstretched palm, and the new guy over there   
doesn't only _sound_ like the cat that got the cream, he has the   
matching ears and tail as well..."  
  
Trowa chuckled quietly, as he nodded his agreement.  
  
"Good evening" the newcomer said. "I am Snarl, the mage. I am very   
pleased to meet you."  
  
  
  
  
[1] This is the chorus of a song that is popular here in Germany   
at the moment. I thought it sounded quite appropriate... *shrugs*  
  
Feedback, like always, very much appreciated ^__^ 


	16. chapter sixteen

Midnight Angel by ShinimegamisScythe  
  
Part sixteen  
  
"Ah, finally got here too, uh?" Pick at last let go of Uriel's hair and hurried over to his friend. Climbing up onto Snarl's shoulder, he dropped his cheery facade and his expression turned serious.  
  
"I think we should head for our camp to talk. I have this weird feeling that we are being watched..." he replied, looking around uncomfortably.  
  
"Ah, I'm not the only one, then..." Zechs muttered under his breath.  
  
"What do you mean, Merquise?"  
  
"Well, Chang," The tall blonde replied, "I've been having that same feeling since last evening, but I thought it was just me being paranoid..."  
  
They all looked around, but no one was to be seen.  
  
"Well, it is late, and you all seem pretty tense. We should head to our camp. Then we can eat a little bit and talk." Everyone agreed with that suggestion as Snarl turned around, his tail swishing from one side to the other. Perk ears twitched with each movement, actively trying to pick up any sound of the suspected spy.  
  
The walk was short and after walking through an especially thick section of undergrowth, the small group finally reached their destination. A very small fire greeted them, merrily burning within a ring of stones and offering all the comfort of its warmth.  
  
Snarl smiled, as everyone got comfortable around the fire. "All we can offer you is a little bread, but at least it is something to fill your stomachs, is it not?" He reached into his bag and brought out a big loaf of bread, which he broke into seven equal parts. He then handed one part to each of the disguised Preventer agents, one to Uriel, and shared his own piece with Pick.  
  
The group ate in silence, and then Uriel began to speak.  
  
"So you have information on the whereabouts of Azrael?"  
  
"Well...we figured it had to be him. He is the only one standing between that bastard Mithuril and the throne, but maybe I should start from the beginning..."  
  
Pick slowly explained that Snarl and himself were secretly working for the king. The king had suspected that Mithuril was involved with the sudden deaths of Prince Sorial and his sister Faleena, who were standing in his way.  
  
"Mithuril must have realized that also Faleena's heir, the son of her daughter India, would be standing closer to the throne than him. Azrael's lineage had come directly from the line of the king's oldest son, while Mithuril was just a descendant of the youngest daughter..."  
  
Snarl's elaboration met stunned silence.  
  
"So...Duo's soul is captured within a jewel?"  
  
"Yes, Fairy-boy, it is." Pick answered.  
  
"How can we free him?"  
  
"Well..." Snarl started, hesitantly. "If your friend was a child of only this world, then there would be no way to free him." he paused only for a moment, stopping Heero who obviously had wanted to say something, ".but Azrael is a child of two worlds. His elven soul is captured within that stone, so much is true, but the angelic parts of his mind are still free, at least that's what I think. There is, after all, no other case even similar to this, yet."  
  
The group fell into silence again, each one brooding over this tidbit of information, when suddenly a new voice spoke up.  
  
"You... *cough* ... are not Mithuril's bootlickers, I figure?"  
  
The new person stumbled into the clearing, putting everyone on the defense. The newcomer had pale green hair that almost reached his waist, and was tied into a high ponytail that fell over one of his shoulders. His skin was brown, and he was bleeding from many minor wounds. Brown Leather clothing covered his body, indicating that he was a wood-elf though his hair was a dead give-away as well.  
  
"You! Are you not...!" Pick began surprised.  
  
"the captain of Sorial's guard?!" Snarl finished the sentence.  
  
"Trevellyan at your service..." the wood-elf said, snatching a leftover piece of bread from Quatre's nerveless fingers.  
  
Ignoring the various stares and glares he was receiving, the stranger continued.  
  
"I was first suspicious of you, after all, who has ever seen a dragon, a fairy, a high and two wood-elves traveling together? And with an angel in their company as well? But judging from what I heard so far, I guess you are after Mithuril's blood as well?"  
  
Treveyallen sat heavily down on the ground, trying to ignore his wounds. Rolling his eyes, Snarl got up, walked over to the wood elf and wordlessly began treating his wounds.  
  
"What happened?" Snarl questioned. "You are the captain of Sorial's personal guard. How _could_ you let your lord be murdered? Were you running from your duties?" An icy calmness lay in his words, and he treated the wounds none too gently.  
  
"No. I have been running from Mithuril's men. I am an eyewitness, I saw how they murdered my lord..." Trevellyan put a slight undertone to the word _murdered_ , and Wufei raised one eyebrow in a silent question.  
  
"Let me get this straight. You are the captain of Lord Sorial's personal guards. To get that high up in ranks, it takes both dedication for the job, and being _very_ trustworthy. Yet, sir, you do not seem to be overly concerned by your lord's death. Would you care to elaborate?"  
  
"Of course, my lord. You see..." Trevellyan tried hard to suppress a snicker, but failed miserably. "Mithuril's men were so totally incompetent. I mean they were good. They must have been watching me closely to strike at me the one time I lingered in the kitchen to help one of the girls carrying a heavy kettle. After they stabbed my lord with a poisonous dagger, and I just entered the scene, the idiots decided that my liege _had_ to be dead, and then they ran after me, trying to stop me from reaching the castle- guards."  
  
Trevellyan continued in his tale. "However, I managed to shake them off and returned to my lord, where I found out that he was still alive. So I brought him to my uncle, who is now nursing him back to health, while I lead Mithuril's bloodhounds on a merry chase..."  
  
Chocking on a crumb of bread, Trevellyan doubled over coughing, and tears started leaking from his brilliant green eyes.  
  
"Take it easy, guy. The faster you eat, the faster the food is gone, so why hurry and take chances of choking to death, uh?" Pick grinned.  
  
Meanwhile, Wufei had taken the egg from a pocket in his shirt and examined it closer. Startled he realized, that where the egg was previously so small it comfortably fit into the hollow of his palm, Wufei now had to hold it with both hands. It also felt warmer, and sometimes it vibrated a little, as if something was moving inside, which was, of course, impossible. Wasn't it? The egg, after all, was only about eight hours old...  
  
"Is that... is that a dawn-singer's egg??" Snarl's voice pulled Wufei out of his thoughts.  
  
As Wufei nodded, the mage continued. "That is fantastic! It was given to you by the bird itself, yes? Oh, I'm _so_ curious _what_will hatch out of it..." An odd smile played over Snarl's features.  
  
"You look like someone who knows a secret and has no intention of sharing it." Wufei mused, narrowing his eyes as a new vibration ran through the shell and a tiny crack appeared.  
  
"What? I can't believe it. It's already coming out!" Wufei whispered, and the others gathered around him, trying to see as well.  
  
A web of tiny cracks began spreading over the surface of the egg, and with a loud *pop* the shards of the shell fell apart revealing -  
  
"That... that is... but... ah... I mean..."  
  
Wufei was at a loss for words, but no one could blame him, because on his outstretched hand lay a curled up, perfect miniature of himself. The only differences were the innocence in those wide, childlike eyes, and the leathery wings on the chibi-Fei's back.  
  
And into the utter silence of the place, it spoke its first word, right into Wufei's face.  
  
"Da?"  
  
tbc... 


End file.
